title: Phenotypic changes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells upon corticosteroid treatment in idiopathic intermediate uveitis.
abstract: We analyzed phenotype and function of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 9 patients with active idiopathic intermediate uveitis (IIU) before and after 6 and 12weeks of systemic corticosteroid (CS) treatment and compared to 28 healthy individuals. Monocytes from IIU patients showed increased MHCII expression compared with controls (p=0.09). Treatment reduced expression of MHCII, CD86, CD39 and CD124 (all p<0.05), whereas the percentage of CD121b-expressing monocytes was increased by week 6 (p=0.039). Patients showed alterations in T cell polarization (Th1/Th2 ratio: patients 5.2 versus controls 3.1, p=0.054; Th17/Treg ratio: 3.0 versus 1.7, p=0.027). S100A12 serum levels were higher in active IIU (p=0.057). Phagocytosis, oxidative burst and serum cytokine levels did not differ between patients and controls, and were not altered by treatment. In conclusion, monocytes from patients with active IIU show increased co-stimulatory capacities, which are modulated by systemic CS treatment, whereas innate immune cell functions are not altered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ophtha Lab at St. Franziskus-Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Department of Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology, University Hospital Muenster, Germany. Electronic address: karoline.walscheid@uveitis-zentrum.de.
authors.forename: Karoline
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walscheid
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology, University Hospital Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weinhage
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology, University Hospital Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Foell
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ophtha Lab at St. Franziskus-Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Duisburg-, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heinz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ophtha Lab at St. Franziskus-Hospital, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ophtha Lab at St. Franziskus-Hospital, Muenster, Germany; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Duisburg-, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Arnd
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heiligenhaus
keywords: Monocytes; Pathogenesis; T cells; Uveitis