Expression of HLA antigens on the human uvea.

We examined the expression of HLA antigens on post-mortem human uveal tissues and on cultured uveal cells. There was no in vivo expression of class I or class II antigens in these tissues, except for the blood vessel endothelium which expressed class I but not class II antigens. Tissue cultured uveal cells were found to express class I antigens. The effect of interferon-alpha and interferon-gamma on the in vitro expression of these antigens was examined. Class I HLA antigen expression was enhanced by both interferon-alpha and interferon-gamma, while class II HLA antigens were induced on up to 100% of cultured cells, but only by interferon-gamma. These findings are discussed in their relation to immune mechanisms occurring in ocular inflammatory disorders.