Immunity to Ocular and Collagen Antigens in Childhood Arthritis and Uveitis

Abstract

Humoral and cellular immunity to ocular antigens (S antigen and alpha, beta heavy, beta light, and gamma crystallins) and connective tissue antigens (type I, II, III, and IV collagens) were studied in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) with or without uveitis and in controls. There was no association between the presence of uveitis and antibody to any collagen type or of lymphocyte transformation to type II collagen. Antibodies to all crystallins were more common in children with JRA than in controls, and antibodies to BH crystallins were more frequent in children with JRA and uveitis than in those with JRA alone. Such reactivity did not appear to represent antibody cross-reactive with collagen antigens. Lymphocyte proliferation to alpha crystallin was increased in JRA with or without uveitis, whereas lymphocyte response to S antigen was associated with the presence of uveitis.

Iris Protein Antibodies in Serum of Patients with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and Uveitis

“…Retinal S antigen was isolated by an established method [7] and purified to homogeneity as described [2]. Iris tissue was care fully removed and then dissociated for 2 min in a Polytron mixer in four parts (w/v) 0.01 M phosphate-buffered 0.14 M saline (PBS), pH 7.3, with 0.001 M EDTA.…”

“…IgG antibody to S antigen was determined as described [2], Anti body to freshly prepared LMW-IA was measured by adding LMW-IA (10 pg/ml PBS) to the center 60 wells of microtiter plates overnight at 4 °C. The remainder of the assay was performed as described for the column eluates.…”

“…observations] colla gen types I, II, III or IV, proteins present within the eye and the joint. With respect to ocular antigens, however, antibodies that react with S antigen [2,4] and lens |1H-crystallin, but not to a, (IL-or y, t-crystallins [2], are associ ated with uveitis in children with JRA. Immunofluores cence studies have demonstrated that sera from children with JRA and active uveitis contained antibodies which reacted with human iris tissue [5].…”

“…The etiology and pathogenesis of uveitis associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) are unknown, but autoimmunity to antigens such as collagens that are shared by both anterior uveal tract and joint has been pos tulated [1], However, arthritic children with or without uveitis do not differ in the frequencies of serum antibodies to native [2] or denatured [3, unpubl. observations] colla gen types I, II, III or IV, proteins present within the eye and the joint.…”

“…Immunofluores cence studies have demonstrated that sera from children with JRA and active uveitis contained antibodies which reacted with human iris tissue [5]. Lymphocyte respon siveness to a crude bovine iris preparation occurred in a small proportion of uveitic JRA patients [2]. Autoantigens of the anterior uveal tract (iris, ciliary body) have not been identified previously.…”