A NOVEL MODEL OF BACTERIALLY-INDUCED ACUTE ANTERIOR UVEITIS IN RATS AND THE LACK OF EFFECT FROM HLA-B27 EXPRESSION

Background: Humans with the major histocompatibility antigen B27 (HLA- B27) are especially at risk for developing rheumatic disorders such as ankylosing spondylitis and Reiter's syndrome, Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) often occurs in association with these diseases or in HLA B27 po sitive individuals without joint disease. Methods: We induced acute an terior uveitis in Lewis rats by a standard model, the intraperitoneal injection of 200 mu g of Escherichia coil endotoxin, We also developed a novel model of uveitis secondary to pam-negative infection, Results : Transgenic rats that expressed a low copy number of the B27 gene did not differ statistically from litter mate controls in the intensity o f anterior uveitis as judged by histology, enumeration of cells in aqu eous humor, protein in aqueous humor, or slit lamp examination, The ma jority of rats exposed to live Salmonella enteritidis or Yersinia ente rocolitica 0:3 using either an oral or intravenous route of infection developed anterior uveitis, In contrast to the disease induced by endo toxin that is most intense 24 hours after the endotoxin challenge, uve itis induced by live bacteria usually began 7 to 9 days after exposure to bacterial products, was more often unilateral, persisted for as lo ng as 3 weeks, and was sometimes recurrent, The expression of HLA-B27 did not appear to influence the incidence or severity of uveitis in B2 7+ low copy heterozygous animals. Conclusion: This rat model of AAU sh ould facilitate evaluation of bacterial antigenic component(s) involve d in the pathogenesis of live gram-negative bacteria induced AAU.