New development in molecular genetic and molecular pharmacological studies on intractable intraocular inflammation.

对白塞病和Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada(VKH)病进行了关联分析。在全基因组的23465个微卫星标记中，147个标记(0.63%)被选为白塞病的易感基因区。在VKH病，这是日本流行的葡萄膜炎，众所周知与人类白细胞抗原DR区有很强的关联。然而，在6号染色体的长臂上发现了其他关联区域。我们正在分析该区域的功能。在难治性眼内炎症组，房水和血液中的一氧化氮水平明显高于对照组。另一方面，抗氧化剂的治疗显著抑制了眼部炎症。结果表明，这些化合物具有明显的抗炎作用。例如，北方国家的植物蓝银花粗提物具有很强的抗氧化作用，以剂量依赖的方式显著抑制难治性眼内炎症模型的炎症。免疫调节性粒细胞摘除疗法被证明在减少白塞病患者威胁光线的眼部炎症发作的频率方面显著有效。对于病程小于5年的患者，本疗法治疗效果更佳。

Association analysis was carried out for the Behcet's disease and the Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease. In the 23,465 microsatellite markers on whole genome, 147 markers (0.63%) was picked up as susceptible genes areas of the Behcet's disease. In the VKH disease, which is the popular uveitis in Japan, is known about the strong association with HLA-DR area. However, other association area is detected on the long arm of chromosome 6. We are now analyzing the functions of this area.In refractory intraocular inflammation groups, nitric oxide levels in the aqueous humor and blood were significantly higher than that in the control group. On the other hand, Treatment with antioxidative compounds significantly suppressed ocular inflammation. The results indicate that these compounds show a significant anti-inflammatory effect. For instance, Treatment with the crude extract by blue honeysuckle, the flora of north countries, has a strong anti-oxidative effect, significantly suppressed inflammation in refractory intraocular inflammation model in a dose-dependent manner.Immunomodulatory granulocytapheresis therapy was revealed to be significantly effective to reduce frequency of light threatening ocular inflammatory attacks in Behcet's disease. And it was also indicated that this therapy was effective in the patient especially with less than 5 years duration of the disease from onset.