EXPERIMENTAL ACUTE ANTERIOR UVEITIS

人类眼内炎症最常见的形式是急性。 原因不明的前葡萄膜炎(AAU)。的循环性质 这种疾病会导致继发性视力的永久性丧失。 黄斑囊样水肿后囊膜下并发症 白内障或青光眼。因此，它是视觉的一个主要原因 我们社会中的残疾问题。 直到最近，还没有AAU的实验动物模型存在。在 最广泛研究的自身免疫性眼内炎模型， 实验性自身免疫性葡萄膜炎(EAU)对各种可溶性视网膜的影响 蛋白质、视网膜和脉络膜是炎症的焦点，而不是 虹膜/睫状体(CB)，如人类的AAU。我们，以及 Brockhuyse和他的同事描述了一种新的实验模型 在用牛免疫诱导的Lewis大鼠中 来自虹膜/CB的黑色素相关蛋白 模仿人类的AAU。我们将其称为实验性急性前部 葡萄膜炎(BAAU)。 这项建议中的研究旨在完成 自身免疫模型的免疫学特征，以确定 致病蛋白及其免疫优势表位的探索 探讨该病的免疫发病机制，并研究其疗效。 不同的治疗方法。有机会直接学习 临床相关的眼内炎症模型令人兴奋 并提供独特的可能性来理解和防止 与重大发病率相关的疾病，以及 只能对症治疗，但不能治愈。

The most frequent form of human intraocular inflammation is acute anterior uveitis (AAU) of unknown etiology. The recurrent nature of the disease can lead to permanent visual loss from the secondary complications of cystoid macular edema, posterior subcapsular cataract or glaucoma. Consequently, it is a major cause of visual disability in our society. Until recently, no experimental animal model of AAU existed. In the most widely studied model of autoimmune intraocular inflammation, experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) to various soluble retinal proteins, the retina and choroid are the foci of inflammation not the iris/ciliary body (CB) as in human AAU. We, as well as Brockhuyse and colleagues, have described a new experimental model in the Lewis rat which is induced by immunization with a bovine melanin associated protein derived from the iris/CB and which mimics human AAU. We refer to it as experimental acute anterior uveitis (BAAU). The studies in this proposal are designed to complete the immunologic characterization of the autoimmune model, to identify the pathogenic protein and its immunodominant epitopes, to explore the immunopathogenesis of the disease and to study the efficacy of various treatment approaches. The opportunity to directly study a clinically relevant model of intraocular inflammation is exciting and provides unique possibilities to understand and prevent a disease which is associated with significant morbidity and which can only be treated symptomatically, but not cured.