Anthropological and genetic studies on uveitis in Mongoloids

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Anthropological and molecular genetic studies on intractable uveitis syndromes which are frequently seen in the Mongoloid population were performed in Syria, Jordan, Mongol and Portugal in the fiscal year of 1997.In Syria and Jordan, there were many patients with Behcet's disease, and most of the patients in the Ophthalmology Department as well as the Rheumatology Department were those with Behcet's disease, quite similar to Japan. However, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's disease was rarely seen in these countries. In Syria, uveitis survey clinic was not yet established, and we advised them how to establish this for our future cooperative studies. In Jordan, however, a speciality clinic for Behcet's disease was already established, and we could see more than 50 typical cases of Behcet's disease. We could also get blood samples from these patients for the HLA-DNA typing. Molecular genetic analyzes on these samples are now in progress in our laboratory.In Mongolia, there were many patients with i … More ntractable uveitis syndromes, and typical cases with Behcet's disease or Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's disease were seen. On the other hand, no patients were diagnosed as sarcoidosis in Mongolia. Clinical festures of uveitis in Mongolia was generally similar to Japan, as had been expected. In this investigation, we could establish a scientific basis for future cooperative studies.Portugal is located in the west end of the so-called Silk-Route, and similar to Japan and other Mediterranean countries, there were many Portuguese patients with Behcet's disease. However, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's disease or sarcoidosis was not as frequent as in Japan. In the next study, association of HLA-B^<**>5101 is to be studied in Portuguese patients with Behcet's disease.Blood samples collected before from Saudi Arabia or Greece were also HLA-DNA typed in our laboratory this year, and the same HLA class I association with Japanese patients was found in these patients.We can conclude from these results that certain types of intractable uveitis frequently seen in the Mongoloid population are also seen along with the Silk-Route, and these uveitis may have been spread along with the migration of the old Nomadic Tibes. Less