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Br J Ophthalmol 2005;89:1410-1412 doi:10.1136/bjo.2005.074062
  • Clinical science
    • Scientific reports

Upregulation of T-bet expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells during Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease

  1. B Li1,2,
  2. P Yang1,2,
  3. H Zhou1,2,
  4. X Huang1,2,
  5. H Jin1,3,
  6. L Chu1,
  7. Y Gao1,2,
  8. L Zhu1,2,
  9. A Kijlstra4
  1. 1Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P R China
  2. 2Uveitis Study Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P R China
  3. 3Division of Immunology, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
  4. 4Animal Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research Center, Lelystad, Eye Research Institute Maastricht, and Department of Ophthalmology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to: Professor Peizeng Yang Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, 54 Xianlie Road, Guangzhou 510060, P R China; peizengyanghotmail.com
  • Accepted 15 June 2005

Abstract

Aim: To test the hypothesis that T-bet expression is altered in patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease.

Methods: Peripheral blood was withdrawn from 16 VKH patients before and after immunosuppressive treatment and from 16 healthy individuals. IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4 in the serum and the supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured with or without phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) were measured by ELISA. T-bet mRNA and protein expression in PBMC cultured with or without PHA was detected by RT-PCR and western blot, respectively.

Results: The level of IFN-γ, but not IL-2 and IL-4, was significantly higher in the supernatants of stimulated PBMC in patients than in controls. A significantly increased T-bet mRNA was found in VKH patients during an active uveitis episode, but not in quiescent patients, compared to controls. T-bet protein was detectable in VKH patients during an active uveitis episode, but not in quiescent patients nor in the healthy controls. Stimulation of PBMC with PHA resulted in a marked upregulation of T-bet mRNA and protein expression for both patients and controls with no significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusions: Upregulation of T-bet may be associated with the development of a Th1 mediated immune response in VKH disease.

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