title: Potential for autoimmune pathogenesis of Rift Valley Fever virus retinitis.
abstract: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a significant threat to human health because it can progress to retinitis, encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fever. The timing of onset of Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) retinitis suggests an autoimmune origin. To determine whether RVFV retinitis is associated with increased levels of IgG against retinal tissue, we measured and compared levels of IgG against healthy human eye tissue by immunohistochemical analysis. We found that serum samples from RVFV-exposed Kenyans with retinitis (n = 8) were slightly more likely to have antibodies against retinal tissue than control populations, but the correlation was not statistically significant. Further investigation into the possible immune pathogenesis of RVFV retinitis could lead to improved therapies to prevent or treat this severe complication.
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health, Building 29B, Room 2c17, 29 Lincoln Way, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. snhypheng@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shoshana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Newman-Gerhardt
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muiruri
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Muchiri
authors.forename: Clarence J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morrill
authors.forename: Alexander H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kazura
authors.forename: Angelle Desiree
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: LaBeaud
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007630:Kenya; D012173:Retinitis / Q000821:virology*; D012295:Rift Valley Fever / Q000821:virology*; D012296:Rift Valley fever virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
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