Objective: To study the local and systemic behavior of the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in patients with active uveitis. Methods: TNF-α levels were measured in aqueous humor and peripheral blood samples using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from 23 patients with uveitis and 16 control patients who had been operated on for uncomplicated cataracts. Results: Aqueous humor and sera of patients with uveitis showed higher levels of TNF-α than those of controls (p < 0.001). A comparison of cytokine levels between aqueous humor and sera showed significantly higher levels of TNF-α in serum than aqueous humor (p < 0.001). Correlation studies using the regression test for successive steps showed that serum TNF-α levels correlated with recurrent uveitis (r = 0.4150; p = 0.0489). Conclusions: TNF-α is a cytokine that participates actively in the pathogenesis of clinical uveitis. Our data emphasize the greater systemic than local participation of TNF-α. Finally, an elevated serum TNF-α seems to be associated with a recurrent pattern of uveitis.

To determine the cytokine profile in aqueous humor and peripheral blood from patients with uveitis. Methods: Cytokines (interferon [IFN]-␥, interleukin[IL] 2, IL-4, and IL-10) were measured in aqueous humor and peripheral blood samples from 23 patients with uveitis and 16 patients undergoing operation for uncomplicated cataracts (control group) by means of an enzymelinked immunosorbent assay.Results: Aqueous and serum samples from patients with uveitis showed higher levels of IFN-␥ and IL-2 than those of controls (PϽ.001). Similarly, serum IL-10 levels were slightly higher in the uveitis group (P = .002). No differ-

The finding of elevated levels of soluble IL-2R and soluble ICAM-1 in the aqueous humor and peripheral blood of patients with uveitis suggests the local and systemic participation of these markers in the pathogenesis of uveitis.

To research whether specific alleles HLA class I (HLA-A and HLA-B) and class II (HLA-DR) are risk factors for the development of exudative type of Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), HLA antigens are expressed both in normal and affected eyes with ARMD. We designed a prospective case-controlled study. We recruited 75 patients with choroidal neovascularization predominantly classic or occult, secondary to ARMD, and treated with photodynamic therapy. Two hundred and fifty patients over 55 years old, without ophthalmologic pathology who went to hospital for an analytical routine check were used as control. The analysis of the data shows a significant difference between two groups. Allele HLA-B27 correlated positively with ARMD (p < 0.0113). However, we didn't find alleles negatively associated. Thus HLA-B27 is an allele predisposed to suffer ARMD. Cellular & Molecular Immunology. 2009;6(4):303-307.

Purpose: We studied the surface expression of intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) on peripheral and intra-ocular T lymphocytes in patients with active uveitis. Methods: Two-colour flow-cytometric analysis was performed on cells isolated from aqueous humour and peripheral blood of 23 patients with active uveitis and 16 control patients who were to undergo cataract extraction, in order to determine the percentage of cells expressing CD4, CD8 and ICAM-1 (CD54) molecules. Results: In the aqueous humour of patients with uveitis, we found an increase in the percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, co-expressing the ICAM-1 molecule as compared to control patients (p < 0.0001). In peripheral blood, these uveitis patients exhibited a significant decrease in the percentage of CD4+ICAM-1+ (p = 0.0106) and CD8+ICAM-1+ (p = 0.0014) as compared to control subjects. The comparative study of cells from the aqueous humour and peripheral blood showed that the percentage of CD4+ICAM-1+ cells was higher in the aqueous humour (p < 0.0001). Comparison of the aqueous humour and peripheral blood for CD8+ICAM-1+ cells revealed no significant differences. In addition, we found a high negative correlation for the CD8+ICAM-1+ subset between the aqueous humour and peripheral blood. Conclusions: Our results suggest a greater local participation for CD4+ICAM-1+ cells but not for CD8+ICAM-1+ cells in the pathogenesis of uveitis.