Infections Associated with Retinal Autoimmunity

Detrick, Barbara; Hooks, John J.; Nussenblatt, Robert

Autoimmune reactivity and autoimmune disease in the eye is a rapidly expanding area of research and therapy. We present evidence implicating three distinct classes of infectious agents in the development of an autoimmune process within the retina. We highlight two human diseases triggered by Onchocerca volvulus or Toxoplasma gondii and an experimental model of retinal degenerative disease, referred to as experimental coronavirus retinopathy (ECOR). Analysis of these systems revealed distinct pathogenic mechanisms involved in the induction of autoimmunity triggered by each organism. In T. gondii infections, the chronic reactivation is probably responsible for the presentation of sequestered retinal epitopes of the immune system. In O. volvulus infections, molecular mimicry between the organism and the human RPE protein may contribute to retinal pathology. In ECOR, differences in time of induction, duration, and intensity of innate immune reactivity may contribute to autoimmune reactivity in BALB/c mice.