(C) Clinical photographs taken through the dilated pupil of the right posterior vision in a patient with posterior uveitis. of B cells and/or their products are promising new approaches to the treatment of noninfectious uveitis. Autoimmune and autoinflammatory uveitis is usually a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by non-infectious inflammation within the eye.1 Although uveitis is an uncommon medical condition in the general community, it is a leading cause of visual disability and loss of sight,2 and it is associated with a marked reduction in the patient’s quality of life.3 Standard immunosuppressive drugs, delivered systemically or locally, are not universally effective for uveitis, and side effects further limit their use.4 Today considerable research is focused on understanding the basic mechanisms of the inflammation and developing biological methods that target key pathogenic cells or molecules. The involvements of helper T lymphocytes and monocytes or macrophages in uveitis have been well established in many studies using experimental models, and through observations made in patients suffering from immune-mediated uveitis.1, 5, 6 In contrast, there has been relatively little investigation of the participation of B lymphocytes in the disease. However, scattered across the peer-reviewed literature are reports that implicate B cells in various forms of experimental and clinical uveitis. In addition, B-cell-targeted treatments have recently been used effectively in the medical center for some recalcitrant forms of intraocular inflammation.7, 8, 9 This translational review presents the lines of evidence for B-cell involvement in non-infectious uveitis and provides discussion of the potential functions of B cells in the pathogenic and regulatory mechanisms of disease. The evaluate begins with an overview of uveitis, and summaries of B-cell immunology and unique aspects of ocular immunology. In the conclusion to the review, recommendations are made for future directions of study in this field. Human noninfectious uveitis and the experimental models Definition and classification of uveitis Uveitis is usually a diverse group of inflammatory diseases that involve one or Pifithrin-u more of the tissues within the eye. By convention,10 uveitis is usually classified anatomically, according to the main clinical site of the inflammation: anterior uveitis’ is based in the anterior chamber; posterior uveitis’ is based in the retina or choroid; intermediate uveitis’ is based in the vitreous (Physique 1). When the severity of inflammation at Pifithrin-u two tissue locations cannot be distinguished, these terms are combined (for example, anterior and intermediate uveitis). However, when inflammation is present throughout the vision, with no tissue site predominating, the term panuveitis’ is applied. Open in a separate window Pifithrin-u Physique 1 (A) Cartoon of the human eye in cross-section. Anterior uveitis is based in the anterior chamber, which is the space bordered by the cornea, the iris and the lens, that is filled with aqueous. Posterior uveitis is based in the retina and/or choroid. Intermediate uveitis is based in the vitreous. (B) Clinical photographs of the right (a) and left (b) anterior eyes of a patient with anterior uveitis. Circular whites spots (keratic precipitates), created by selections of leukocytes, are HSPB1 present on the interior surface of the cornea. (C) Clinical photographs taken through the dilated pupil of the right posterior vision in a patient with posterior uveitis. When uveitis is usually active (a), you will find fluffy white patches of retinal inflammation with hemorrhages, and the view is hazy due to secondary inflammation in the vitreous. As the uveitis goes into remission (b), the vitreous inflammation resolves, and there is a crisp view of the retina, which is usually without whitening or hemorrhages. Inflammation within the eye may be infectious or non-infectious in nature.1, 11 Often a specific cause is identified, through concern of the location of the inflammation, specific ocular signs, clinical course, and patient demographics and co-morbidities. Many infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa, are causes of uveitis. However, infectious uveitis will not be considered further in Pifithrin-u this review. Non-infectious uveitis may be the component of a systemic inflammatory disease, or it may be isolated to the eye.1, 11 The systemic diseases most often associated with uveitis include: sero-negative HLA-B27-positive spondyloarthropathies; juvenile idiopathic arthritis; sarcoidosis; multiple sclerosis; inflammatory bowel disease; tubulointerstitial nephritis; Beh?et disease; and VogtCKoyanagiCHarada syndrome. Relatively rare, but recently highlighted as inherited syndromes that include non-infectious uveitis, are: familial juvenile systemic granulomatosis and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID).6 Systemic vasculitis seldom co-exists with uveitis, although it.