Transfer of Experimental Autoimmune Uveoretinitis by Serum

ABSTRACT

Passive transfer experiments were performed by local administrations of sera from guinea pigs hyperimmunized by bovine rod outer segments with complete Freund's adjuvant in random-bred guinea pigs. Routes of administrations were(1) single intravitreal injection of serum (25 micrl l, in 18 eyes), (2) the intravitreal injection associated with 2 subconjunctival injections (150 micrl l, in 9 eyes), (3) three subconjunctival injections of serum (150 micrl l, in 6 eyes), (4) five subconjunctival injections of serum with 2 paracenteses (in 14 eyes) and (5) four injections into the anterior chamber (50 micrl l) with 2 subconjunctival injections (in 4 eyes). Clinically animals showed cells in the anterior vitreous in 50-83% of cases. Histologically infltrations of round cells, focal or diffuse, were noted in the choroid with scattered polymorphonuclear, eosino and plasma cells. In the retina disappearance of visual cells was found, sometimes complicated by the involvement of the bipolar cells in severe cases. These findings were quite similar to the lesions produced in actively immunized animals. Choroidal lesions were most frequently found. Serum taken from the enucleated donors, and concentrated serum were more effective in the production of this transfer disese. The control experiments in which normal serum or serum immunized by adjuvant alone, revealed very low incidence of ocular lesions which were generally mild in degree. It can be concluded that humoral immunity also plays very important roles in the pathogenesis of autoimmune uveoretinitis.