Experimental approaches to specific immunotherapies in autoimmune disease: future treatment of endogenous posterior uveitis?

EPU represents a spectrum of chronic intraocular inflammatory conditions which respond to CsA/FK506, and anti CDw52 monoclonal antibody *Putative autoantigens S-Ag and IRBP are potent inducers of EAU, a CD4+T cell mediated disease, the pathology of which parallels the pathology seen in EPU *EAU can be suppressed by targeting the immune activation cascade *Vitreous T cells in sympathetic ophthalmia are reactive to retinal autoantigens and are -yb TCR, CD5 + B cells, a phenotype which is characteristically present in other autoimmune conditions *In EPU activated T cells and immune activation markers can be detected in peripheral circulation EAU=experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis.CsA=Cyclosporin A. IRBP=interphotoreceptor binding protein.TCR=T cell receptor.