Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Exp Eye Res. 2020 Aug;197:108078. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.108078. Epub 2020 Jun 3.
Scleritis is a sight-threatening inflammation characterized by severe pain and redness of the eye. It can cause blindness by severe complications like scleral and corneal necrosis, keratitis, and uveitis. The pathogenesis of scleritis is largely unknown due to a combination of the rarity of the disease, the little available human tissue-based research material, and the lack of animal models. The immune system is assumed to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of scleritis. Multiple clues indicate probable antigenic stimuli in scleritis, and the involvement of matrix metalloproteinases in the destruction of scleral tissue. In this article we review the current insights into the pathogenesis of scleritis, and we suggest new hypotheses by implementing knowledge of systemic autoimmune disease pathogenesis. Understanding the pathogenesis of scleritis is crucial to improve the clinical management, as well as to find novel treatment modalities.
巩膜炎是一种以严重眼痛和眼红为特征的致盲性炎症。它可引起巩膜和角膜坏死、角膜炎和葡萄膜炎等严重并发症而导致失明。由于疾病的罕见性、有限的人类基于组织的研究材料以及缺乏动物模型，巩膜炎的发病机制在很大程度上尚不清楚。免疫系统被认为在巩膜炎的发病机制中起着至关重要的作用。多项线索表明巩膜炎可能存在抗原刺激，以及基质金属蛋白酶在巩膜组织破坏中的参与。在本文中，我们通过应用系统性自身免疫性疾病发病机制的知识，综述了巩膜炎发病机制的最新研究进展，并提出了新的假说。了解巩膜炎的发病机制对于改善临床管理以及寻找新的治疗方法至关重要。
