Cyclosporin a. Inhibition of experimental autoimmune uveitis in Lewis rats.

Cyclosporin A (CS-A), a selective inhibitor of T lymphocytes, is reported here to prevent S antigen (S-Ag) induced uveitis in Lewis rats. The S-Ag, found in all mammalian retinas, is uveitogenic under experimental conditions and patients with certain uveitic entities demonstrate cell mediated responses to this antigen. Daily treatment with CS-A (10 mg/kg) begun on the same day as S-Ag immunization totally inhibited the development of the uveitis in this experimental autoimmune model. Moreover a greater CS-A dose (40 mg/kg) efficiently prevented the disease process when therapy was started 7 d after S-Ag immunization. Anti-S-Ag antibody titers were observed to be similar in rats either protected or not protected with CS-A. Our data support strongly the need for T cell participation in this disease model. Since ocular inflammatory disease is an important cause of visual impairment, the data further suggest that CS-A may be useful in the treatment of patients with intractable uveitis.