Recoverin-aociated retinopathy: a clinically and immunologically ditinctive dieae Original Reearch Article

PURPOE: To compare the immune repone to retinal antigen in a patient with a clinical condition reembling cancer-aociated retinopathy with the immune repone of patient with other retinal degeneration or uveiti. METHOD: Cellular and humoral immune repone to retinal -antigen and recoverin were determined in one patient with dieae reembling cancer-aociated retinopathy, three patient with other retinal degeneration, and eight patient with uveiti. REULT: A cellular immune repone againt recoverin wa found only in the patient with the condition reembling cancer-aociated retinopathy. Elevated level of antibody againt recoverin were found in thi patient and in one of the three patient with a retinal degeneration, but in none of the eight patient with uveiti. In contrat, moderate lymphocyte repone to retinal -antigen were found in mot of the patient tudied, and thi repone did not ditinguih among the patient group. Level of erum antibodie againt retinal -antigen were alo imilar in all patient teted. erum from the patient with dieae reembling cancer-aociated retinopathy produced trong immunotaining of the rod, cone, outer plexiform layer, and ome cone bipolar cell, but erum from the patient with uveiti or other retinal degeneration did not how pecific reactivity with the retina. CONCLUION: We propoe that thi immunologically and clinically ditinctive condition be termed recoverin-aociated retinopathy, and we ugget that a cellular immune repone againt recoverin may be a ditinguihing feature of the diorder.