Biological Sciences, Inflammation Research Program, Allergan, Irvine, CA, USA.
Mucosal Immunol. 2010 Sep;3(5):425-42. doi: 10.1038/mi.2010.26. Epub 2010 May 19.
A healthy ocular surface environment is essential to preserve visual function, and as such the eye has evolved a complex network of mechanisms to maintain homeostasis. Fundamental to the health of the ocular surface is the immune system, designed to respond rapidly to environmental and microbial insults, whereas maintaining tolerance to self-antigens and commensal microbes. To this end, activation of the innate and adaptive immune response is tightly regulated to limit bystander tissue damage. However, aberrant activation of the immune system can result in autoimmunity to self-antigens localized to the ocular surface and associated tissues. Environmental, microbial and endogenous stress, antigen localization, and genetic factors provide the triggers underlying the immunological events that shape the outcome of the diverse spectrum of autoimmune-based ocular surface disorders.
健康的眼表环境对于维持视觉功能至关重要，因此眼睛进化出了一套复杂的机制来维持体内平衡。眼表的健康基础是免疫系统，其设计目的是快速应对环境和微生物的侵害，同时保持对自身抗原和共生微生物的耐受性。为此，先天和适应性免疫反应的激活受到严格调控，以限制旁观者组织损伤。然而，免疫系统的异常激活可导致自身免疫性疾病，即眼表及相关组织的自身抗原发生免疫反应。环境、微生物和内源性应激、抗原定位以及遗传因素为各种自身免疫性眼表疾病的免疫事件提供了潜在的触发因素。
