AUTOANTIBODIES AGAINST LENS ARE CYTOTOXIC TO LENS EPITHELIAL CELLS CAUSING AGE-RELATED CATARACT.

针对晶状体抗原的循环自身抗体在年龄相关性白内障（ARC）患者中普遍存在，但其致病意义尚不清楚。我们假设这些自身抗体对晶状体上皮细胞（LECs）具有细胞毒性。为了验证这一假设，我们在豚鼠补体存在或不存在的情况下，用抗β -结晶蛋白（抗β）的小鼠多克隆抗体孵育LECs。我们发现，在补体存在的情况下，抗β结合并杀死人LECs （HLECs）。ARC患者的血清对HLECs也有细胞毒性。这些结果支持了针对晶状体抗原的自身抗体对lec具有细胞毒性的假设，并且细胞死亡可能涉及补体介导的途径。

Circulating autoantibodies against lens antigens are prevalent in patients with age-related cataract (ARC), but their pathogenic significance is unknown. We hypothesized that these autoantibodies are cytotoxic for lens epithelial cells (LECs). To test this hypothesis, we incubated LECs with mouse polyclonal antibodies against beta-crystallin (anti-beta) in the presence or absence of guinea pig complement. We found that anti-beta in the presence of the complement bound to and killed human LECs (HLECs). Sera obtained from patients with ARC also were cytotoxic to HLECs. These results support the hypothesis that autoantibodies against lens antigens are cytotoxic to LECs, and that cell death may involve complement-mediated pathways.