UNASSIGNED: Uveitis, a notable cause of severe visual impairment, is frequently characterized as infectious or noninfectious autoimmune uveitis (AU), the latter of which is commonly associated with younger individuals and systemic diseases. Despite the condition\'s widespread impact, there are substantial gaps in the comprehension of its pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and therapeutic response, particularly concerning systemic disease-associated uveitis.
UNASSIGNED: The current study aims to bridge these gaps through an extensive examination of demographic and clinical features in AU patients, thereby informing future research, and therapeutic strategies, and improving patient outcomes.
UNASSIGNED: This retrospective observational study analyzed 261 patients with systemic disease-associated uveitis from January 2018 to December 2022 in Damascus, Syria. With diagnoses made using the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature Working Group Criteria, the study evaluated tailored treatment efficacy at the 24-month post-treatment mark, alongside comprehensive ophthalmic examinations, laboratory evaluations, and radiographic assessments.
UNASSIGNED: In our study, included 87 patients with Systemic Disease-Associated Autoimmune Uveitis (SDA-AU). Women represented 64.36% of this group, and the mean age at diagnosis was 39.8±17.9 years (range 7-71) for men and 43.8±15.4 years (range 11-69). The most reported symptom was a painful red eye (52.87%). The onset of symptoms was sudden for 32.18% of patients, while 67.81% reported gradual development. Complications occurred in 33.33% of patients, including cataracts (41.37% of those with complications) and glaucoma (17.24%). Laboratory evaluations showed elevated inflammation markers in 66.66% of patients. Upon the 24-month assessment, 48.27% of patients achieved complete remission, 37.93% showed significant improvement, while disease worsened in 13.79% of cases.
UNASSIGNED: Our findings demonstrated that the presentation of AU in this cohort frequently precedes the diagnosis of systemic diseases, affirming the vital role of an early and accurate diagnosis of uveitis for the detection of underlying systemic conditions. In conclusion, our study underlines the significance of a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach in the management of SD-AU, leading to improved prognosis and quality of life for patients.

UNASSIGNED: To demonstrate that the presence of active retinochoroiditis in eyes with previous hyperpigmented old retinochoroidal lesions is not exclusive of ocular toxoplasmosis.
UNASSIGNED: A case series was constructed by reviewing medical records.
UNASSIGNED: Four Brazilian patients presenting active posterior uveitis in eyes with previous hyperpigmented old retinochoroidal lesions were identified. Ocular toxoplasmosis was ruled out in all cases. One case had viral etiology confirmed through vitreous PCR (HSV-2 was positive), and the other 3 cases had a presumed diagnosis of herpetic posterior uveitis.
UNASSIGNED: Focus active retinitis adjacent to an old cicatricial lesion should not be considered pathognomonic of toxoplasmosis and viral etiology must be considered.

UNASSIGNED: Recent studies reported a link between high salt diet (HSD) and clinical exacerbation in mouse models of autoimmune diseases, mainly through the induction of pathogenic Th17 cells and/or HSD-induced dysbiosis. However, the topic remains controversial and not fully understood.
UNASSIGNED: In this study, we investigated the effects of HSD on the development of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) in C57BL/6J mice.
UNASSIGNED: Unexpectedly, our data showed a significant attenuating effect of HSD on disease severity of native EAU, induced by direct immunization with IRBP peptide. That said, HSD had no effect on EAU disease severity induced by adoptive transfer of semi-purified auto-reactive IRBP-specific T lymphocytes. Accordingly, HSD did not affect IRBP-specific systemic afferent immune response as attested by no HSD-linked changes in T lymphocytes proliferation, cytokine production and Treg proportion. Gut microbiota analysis from cecal samples in naïve and EAU mice demonstrated that HSD affected differentially α-diversity between groups, whereas β-diversity was significantly modified in all groups. Unknown Tannerellaceae was the only taxon associated to HSD exposure in all treatment groups. Interestingly, a significantly higher abundance of unknown Gastranaerophilales, with potential anti-inflammatory properties, appeared in HSD-fed native EAU mice, only.
UNASSIGNED: In conclusion, our study suggests a possible impact of HSD on gut microbiota composition and consequently on development and clinical severity of EAU. Further studies are required to investigate the potential beneficial role of Gastranaerophilales in EAU.

Autoinflammatory diseases include disorders with a genetic cause and also complex syndromes associated to polygenic or multifactorial factors. Eye involvement is present in many of them, with different extent and severity. The present review covers ophthalmological lesions in the most prevalent monogenic autoinflammatory diseases, including FMF (familial Mediterranean fever), TRAPS (TNF receptor-associated periodic syndrome), CAPS (cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes), Blau syndrome, DADA2 (deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2), DITRA (deficiency of the interleukin-36 receptor antagonist), other monogenic disorders, including several ubiquitinopathies, interferonopathies, and the recently described ROSAH (retinal dystrophy, optic nerve edema, splenomegaly, anhidrosis, and headache) syndrome, and VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome. Among polygenic autoinflammatory diseases, ocular manifestations have been reviewed in Behçet\'s disease, PFAPA (periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis) syndrome, Still\'s disease and autoinflammatory bone diseases, which encompass CRMO (chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis) and SAPHO (synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis) syndrome.

UNASSIGNED: Zoledronate is a commonly prescribed medication to maintain bone health; however, a rare side effect includes ocular inflammation. We report a case of simultaneous anterior uveitis and orbital inflammation associated with zoledronate infusion in a patient with metastatic breast cancer. We also performed a literature search to provide an up-to-date summary of cases with zoledronate-associated ocular inflammation.
UNASSIGNED: This is a case report with literature review. Literature search (timeline 2010 to 2023) was performed using PubMed with the search team: (zoledronate) AND (uveitis OR scleritis OR orbital inflammation OR ocular inflammation).
UNASSIGNED: A 48-year-old female presented with left eye pain, swelling, and decreased vision 2 days after receiving zoledronic acid infusion. An ophthalmic exam showed non-granulomatous anterior uveitis. CT orbits and ocular ultrasound showed signs of posterior scleritis and orbital inflammation. Ocular inflammation caused by an infection or metastatic cancer was ruled out. The patient was treated with both topical and systemic corticosteroids. Complete resolution of the inflammation occurred after 2.5 weeks.
UNASSIGNED: Orbital inflammation and uveitis are an uncommon side effect of zoledronate but needs to be promptly recognized and treated to prevent sight-threatening complications.

Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) is a central cell adhesion molecule for retinal transendothelial migration of the leukocytes in non-infectious posterior uveitis. Inhibiting ICAM1 gene transcription reduces induction of ICAM-1 in inflamed retinal endothelium. Based on published literature implicating transcription factor ETS-1 as an activator of ICAM1 gene transcription, we investigated the effect of ETS-1 blockade on ICAM-1 levels in cytokine-stimulated human retinal endothelial cells. We first examined ICAM1 and ETS1 transcript expression in human retinal endothelial cells exposed to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) or interleukin-1beta (IL-1β). ICAM1 and ETS1 transcripts were increased in parallel in primary human retinal endothelial cell isolates (n = 5) after a 4-hour stimulation with TNF-α or IL-1β (p ≤ 0.012 and ≤ 0.032, respectively). We then assessed the effect of ETS-1 blockade by small interfering (si)RNA on cellular ICAM1 transcript and membrane-bound ICAM-1 protein. ETS1 transcript was reduced by greater than 90% in cytokine-stimulated and non-stimulated human retinal endothelial cell monolayers following a 48-hour treatment with two ETS-1-targeted siRNA, in comparison to negative control non-targeted siRNA (p ≤ 0.0002). The ETS-1 blockade did not reduce ICAM1 transcript expression nor levels of membrane-bound ICAM-1 protein, rather it increased both for a majority of siRNA-treatment and cytokine-stimulation conditions (p ≤ 0.018 and ≤ 0.004, respectively). These unexpected findings indicate that ETS-1 blockade increases ICAM-1 transcript and protein levels in human retinal endothelial cells. Thus ETS-1-targeting would be expected to promote rather than inhibit retinal transendothelial migration of leukocytes in non-infectious posterior uveitis.

Viral retinitis associated with herpesvirus is one of the most severe forms of uveitis and is a potentially sight-threatening ophthalmologic disease. The prognosis is poor and a rapid and aggressive management is necessary to improve the visual and sometimes vital prognosis of these patients. The treatments used are not without side effects, while many differential diagnoses exist, such as toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis, syphilitic retinitis, endogenous endophthalmitis and intraocular lymphoma. Causatives viruses are herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus, which require rapid detection in ocular fluid, mainly aqueous humor. However, only a small amount of intraocular fluid is available for analysis. Advances in microbiological diagnostic techniques therefore were key factors in improving the management of these diseases. Historically, the diagnosis was based on immunological tests but more recently advances in molecular biology, in particular polymerase chain reaction, have played a crucial role to obtain a reliable and rapid diagnosis of viral retinitis associated with herpesvirus, as discussed in this review.

UNASSIGNED: To investigate the role of the chemokines CXCL13, CXCL10 and CXCL8 in the diagnosis of ocular- and neurosyphilis by examining the serum, aqueous humour (AH) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with ocular syphilis.
UNASSIGNED: An observational descriptive study was performed prospectively at Tygerberg Academic Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa from 1 February 2018 till 31 January 2021 which enrolled 23 participants. 14 Patients were male and 9 female, 15 patients were HIV positive, and all patients were newly diagnosed with ocular syphilis. Upon diagnosis of ocular syphilis, the HIV status of each patient was determined, and 3 samples (AH, serum and CSF) were collected to measure the levels of CXCL13, CXCL10 and CXCL8 in each. All patients were treated with 14 days of intravenous Penicillin G and topical corticosteroid drops for uveitis.
UNASSIGNED: The mean concentrations of all 3 biomarkers were higher in the AH and CSF than in the serum. The mean concentrations of the 3 measured biomarkers were markedly different when comparing both AH and CSF levels to serum levels. The level of CXCL13 measured in the AH correlated well with the concentrations found in the CSF of patients with neurosyphilis. In patients with neurosyphilis, mean AH levels of CXCL13 and CXCL10 were markedly higher than in serum while mean CSF levels of CXCL10 were also markedly higher than in serum. Also, the AH/serum ratio of CXCL13 and CXCL10, as well as the CSF/serum ratio of CXCL10, was much higher in patients with neurosyphilis than without. In patients with HIV infection, mean AH CXCL13 levels were much higher than in patients without HIV infection.
UNASSIGNED: The levels of CXCL13, CXCL10 and CXCL8 in the AH of patients with neurosyphilis are similar to previously reported levels in the CSF of patients with neurosyphilis and can potentially be an adjunct in the diagnosis of ocular syphilis. Patients with ocular syphilis who tested negative for neurosyphilis with conventional CSF testing showed features of neurosyphilis when analysing the CSF chemokines.

UNASSIGNED: To demonstrate the rare ocular side effects in a patient receiving pembrolizumab and nivolumab for metastatic ovarian cancer.
UNASSIGNED: A 37-year-old woman with recurrent metastatic ovarian cancer presented with blurred vision and photophobia after receiving pembrolizumab. Ocular findings were bilateral anterior chamber reactions, iris cysts, and macular flecks. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) indicated retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and ellipsoid-band disruption. Her symptoms subsided with topical steroids but fundal appearance persisted despite cessation of immunotherapies. Similar episodes attacked again with multiple exudative subretinal fluid (SRF) developed after she received pembrolizumab and nivolumab. Steroids could cease anterior chamber reactions while SRF only subsided after discontinuation of immunotherapy. Extensive RPE and ellipsoid-band disruption remained without vision improvements.
UNASSIGNED: We report a rare case of uveitis and retinopathy after immunotherapies with sequent pembrolizumab and nivolumab. A serial change of the maculopathy is demonstrated. Possible ocular toxicities during the treatment course should be considered, and the benefits of continuing the immunotherapy must be weighed against the risks.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most frequent rheumatic disease of childhood and uveitis is its most common extra-articular manifestation. JIA-associated uveitis (JIA-U) is one of the main causes of visual impairment in children and represents a major challenge for pediatrician and ophthalmologist, due to its insidious onset and sight-threatening complications. Topical glucocorticoids are the first line of treatment, followed by conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), usually methotrexate (MTX). In recent years, new biological drugs targeting specific molecules involved in disease pathogenesis, have significantly improved the prognosis of the disease, especially for cases refractory to conventional therapies. In this review we discuss the role of biological agents in JIA-U, focusing on cytokine blockers and cell-targeted therapies aimed to control ocular inflammation.