Abstract
Purpose :
Posner-Schlossmann syndrome(PSS) is characterized by recurrent attacks of mild anterior uveitis associated with marked elevations of intraocular pressure(IOP). Our goal was to explore changes in T cell immunity in patients with PSS.
Methods :
Peripheral blood samples were obtained at the hypertensive phase with aqueous inflammation in study patients(n=15), and during cataract surgery in controls(n=11). All patients underwent a serological screening for IgGs against herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus. The counts of each T-cell subpopulation were determined via flow cytometry. The concentrations of inflammatory cytokines were measured using Luminex multiplex bead immunoassay.
Results :
The baseline IOP of the PSS group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.001) and the corneal endothelial cell count in the PSS group was significantly lower than that of the control group(P<0.001). The PSS group had a significantly lower absolute lymphocyte count (1,931±325 cells/mm2) than the control group (2,328±507 cells/mm2; P=0.041) and reduced numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (P=0.058 and 0.029, respectively). In the same group, the CD8+CD28- and CD8+CD57+ T cell numbers, indicating the T cell immunosenescence were marginally lower than in the control group (P=0.085 and 0.085, respectively). Serum IL-2, TGFβ1, and TGFβ2 levels were lower in the PSS than the control group (P=0.056, 0.012, and 0.062, respectively).
Conclusions :
PSS patients do not appear to exhibit typical immune aging. Rather, PSS seems to be associated with systemic immune activation and relative lymphopenia. This is the first description of altered T cell immunity in PSS patients.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.