HUMAN ANTIRETINAL ANTIBODIES IN TOXOPLASMA RETINOCHOROIDITIS

Background/aims-Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis (TR) is an important caus e of blindness and visual morbidity, affecting young adults. It has be en postulated that some of the retinal damage observed in TR is due to antiretinal autoimmune mechanisms. Methods-Humoral antiretinal autoim munity in TR was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on normal human cadaveric retina and by a human retinal S-antigen ELISA. 36 patients with TR were separated on clinical grounds into those with first recurrence of disease (n=18) or those with multiple recurrences (n=18). Patients were also segregated into those with active (n=28) o r quiescent disease (n=8). Serum from 16 normal controls (six with pos itive toxoplasma serology and 10 without) with no evidence of eye dise ase and 12 patients with idiopathic retinal vasculitis (IRV) were also tested. Results-Sera from 34 of the 36 patients (94%) with TR demonst rated photoreceptor layer reactivity by IIF contrasting with six of 16 normal controls (p= <0.001) and three of 12 IRV patients (p= <0.001). Titres of antiphotoreceptor antibody were also higher among TR patien ts than controls. Sera from 27 of the 36 TR patients, 10 of 16 normals , and nine of 12 retinal vasculitis patients possessed anti-human reti nal S-antigen antibodies at a titre of 1:400 or more as assessed by EL ISA (p= >0.05). Antiretinal autoantibody as detected by IIF did not ru n in parallel with S-antigen reactivity. Conclusions-The data indicate that the extent of antiretinal reactivity within TR is not accounted for by anti-S-antigen antibodies alone. This remarkably high prevalenc e of antiphotoreceptor antibody in TR as opposed to that found in eith er healthy or disease controls suggest that these antibodies may be co -pathogenic in toxoplasma retinochoroiditis.