Clinical immunology in ophthalmology. The 1975 Bedell lecture.

Immunology has played a recognizable role in ophthalmology for many years. The old immunology concerned itself with antibodies, skin tests, complement, agglutinins, precipitants, and lysins. The old immunology was responsible for the remarkable development of vaccines, vaccinations, antisera, and the prophylactic use of toxins. The new immunology cannot display such achievements as yet. However, continued study in this area could lead to significant improvements in diagnosis, prognosis, and the development of effective immunoregulants in inflammatory and neoplastic disease.