Immunogenetic and microbial factors in acute anterior uveitis.

Abstract

SpA represent the commonest underlying rheumatic disorders associated with acute anterior uveitis. The majority of patients with acute anterior uveitis possess HLA-B27 regardless of whether there is underlying SpA. Patients with acute anterior uveitis show increased frequency of anti-Yersinia antibodies compared with controls. Many of these antibodies appear to be directed against antigenic determinants shared among gram negative bacteria and thus cannot constitute definitive evidence for a causal role specifically for Yersinia in acute anterior uveitis. Acute anterior uveitis represents an interplay of host susceptibility and microbial triggers, as is the case for the SpA in general.