title: Elevated Serum Immune Mediators and Subclinical Inflammation in HLA-A29-associated Birdshot Chorioretinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the circulating levels of seven immune mediators in serum samples from patients with birdshot chorioretinopathy (BSCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-center prospective case-control study was performed. Serum concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-12p70, IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-23, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 of 22 BSCR patients recruited at Hosp6ital Clinic of Barcelona and 16 healthy subjects were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Circulating levels of IL-17A were elevated in patients with BSCR in remission (p = 0.008 for BSCR patients with immunomodulatory treatment [IMT] and p = 0.032 for patients without IMT) compared with healthy subjects. Furthermore, patients who were not receiving IMT had significantly higher levels of circulating IL-23 (p = 0.013 vs controls and p = 0.001 vs IMT) and TGF-β1 (p = 0.009 vs controls and p = 0.001 vs IMT) than patients under IMT or healthy subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the involvement of a IL-17-response in BSCR and suggest that BSCR patients without IMT due to apparent remission may maintain a subclinical inflammatory background.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.|b Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS) , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Molins
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mesquida
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Llorenç
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Maite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sainz de la Maza
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adán
mesh_terms: D000080365:Birdshot Chorioretinopathy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; C035524:HLA-A29 antigen; D007155:Immunologic Factors
keywords: Birdshot chorioretinopathy; IL-17; IL-23; TGF-β1; uveitis