Experimental uveitis was induced in rabbits by bovine serum albumin. Ocular inflammation,protein content of aqueous humor,T lymphocyte transformation and serum circulating immune complex were reduced markedly after the treatment of tetrandrine (Tet, 50mg/kg/d,ip)and dexamethasone(Dex, 5mg/kg/d,ip)for 8 days. Four days after withdrawal of Tet and Dex the protien content of the aqueous humor and serum eiucrlating immune complexes rose again,but these parameters in Tet group is lower than that in Dex group. The pathological study showed that inflammation of choroid in Tet treated group was lighter than that in untreated group. These results suggest that Tet is an effective inhibitory agent on bovine serum albumin-induced experimental uveitis. Its mechanism may be related to the suppression of cellular and humoral immune function aside from antiinflammation. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,1994,10:149-152)
Objective To observe the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), its tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP-1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and contents of nitric oxide (NO) in the ocular tissues of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with endotoxin induced uveitis(EIU). Methods Ninety SD rats were randomly divided into experimental (81 rats) and control group (9 rats). The model of EIU was induced in rats in experimental group by injecting with lipoplysaccharide (LPS) 200 μl into the hind feet pads, while the rats in the control group were not injected. Nine rats were executed 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 48, 72, 96 hours and 7 days, respectively, after injecting with LPS; the NO content and concentration of protein in the aqueous humor in blood plasma, aqueous humor, and uveal tissues were detected. The expressions of MMP-9, TIMP-1 and iNOS in the ocular tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the average absorbance (A) value was evaluated by computer medical image analysis system. Results iNOS, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 expressed in the epithelial cells of iris and ciliary body and exudated inflammatory cells of rats. The concentration of protein in the aqueous humor, the contents of NO in blood plasma, aqueous humor, and uveal tissues, and A value of MMP-9 had obvious relativity with the inflammatory extent, while no positive correlation was found between the inflammatory extent and the A value of iNOS and TIMP-1. Expression of iNOS was found 6 hours after injection, reached the peak after 12 hours, and then dropped gradually. The expression of TIMP-1 could be seen 24 hours after injection, and reached its peak after 72 hours. Conclusion The content of NO and expressions of iNOS, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 changes from the beginning and during the development of EIU, which suggests that NO, iNOS, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 are involved in the pathologic process of EIU. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2005, 21: 371-374)
Objective To study the clinical classification and etiologies of uveitis based on 1214 uveitis patients reffered to Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center. Methods A retrospective analysis was made on the patients with uveitis, coming from all over China between January 1996 and December 2001. All kinds of uveitis were classified according to the anatomical criteria and etiological criteria. The relevant data of these patients, such as the age at uveitis onset and sex were also analyzed. Results The total number of the patients is 1214 (male 698, female 516), with the average age at disease onset being 34.43. Anterior uveitis, the most common type, was seen in 546 cases, accounting for 44.98% of all the patients, followed in descending order by panuveitis (530 cases, 43.66%), intermediate uveitis(78 cases, 6.43%) and posterior uveitis(60 cases, 4.94%). Etiological factors and clinical entities were identified in 703 patients, accounting for 57.91% of all the patients, and the other 511 patients were idiopathic ones. The most common types of anterior uveitis were idiopathic uveitis(316 cases, 57.88%), followed by Fuchs syndrome(85 cases) and ankylosing spondylitis(45 cases). BehCcedil;et disease(218 cases, 41.13%) and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome(196 cases, 36.98%) were the most common entities in panuveitis. Neither etiological factors nor clinical entities could be identified in the patients with intermediate uveitis and those with posterior uveitis. Conclusions Uveitis occurs mostly in young and middle-aged adults. In general, a predilection was seen in the male as compared with the female in the development of uveitis. Idiopathic anterior uveitis, BehCcedil;et disease and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome are the most common entities of uveitis seen in China. Classification based on etiological and anatomical factors may provide a reasonable system for the study of uveitis. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2002, 18: 253-255)
Noninfectious uveitis refers to a category of inflammatory diseases involving the uvea, with the exception of infectious factors or masquerade syndrome. The diagnosis and follow-up of noninfectious uveitis that involving retina or choroid require fundus imaging techniques. Fundus autofluorescence is a noninvasive imaging technique. Compared with fundus colorized photography, fundus fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography, fundus autofluorescence indicates the functional status of retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptor cells in a better way, thus playing a role in the pathophysiological mechanisms investigating, early diagnosis, disease progression monitoring and prognosis estimating of noninfectious uveitis, such as Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, Behçet disease, multifocal choroiditis, punctate inner choroidopathy, birdshot chorioretinopathy, multiple evanescent white dot syndrome, acute zonal occult outer retinopathy, acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy and serpiginous choroiditis.
Uveitis is a group of inflammatory diseases affecting the uveal tract, retina, retinal blood vessels and vitreous. Due to its complex etiology, various entities, diverse and lack of constancy in treatment, some patients can experience visual impairment and even loss. In view of the fact that blindness caused by uveitis is mostly incurable and occurs usually in young and middle-aged people, it accounts for an important part of blinding eye diseases and has attracted worldwide attention. With the continuous development of precision medicine, clinicians will face new problems and challenges in disease diagnosis, and further in-depth research is needed to explore more optimized and efficient diagnostic processes and examinations to improve the diagnosis of uveitis in China.
Clinical materials of 198 patients with anterior uveitis were amdysed. The etiologic factors of disease, were estimated by history of the disease,clinical manifestation,concurrent diseases and laboratory findings.The main relevant causes were found successively to be rheumatlc arthritis (57 cases,28.79%), Fuchs syndrome (15 cases,7.58%) and herpes simplex virus infection (10 cases,5.05%).The diagnosis,treatement and etiology of anterior uveitis were discussed,and it was suggested that early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are key to prevent loss of sight. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,1994,10:159-161)