Elucidation of the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26861463
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Nagata Kenji 京都府立医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究員), 助教 (00457988)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: サルコイドーシス / ぶどう膜炎 / Propionibacterium acnes

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To investigate whether Propionibacterium acnes is an etiological agent for sarcoid uveitis, retinal sections were immunohistochemically analyzed a P. acnes-specific monoclonal antibody (PAB antibody). P. acnes, identified as round bodies that reacted with the PAB antibody, were present in 9/11 patients (82.0%) with sarcoidosis.In the control group, no round bodies were detected. Our results suggested that P. acnes could be a cause of sarcoid uveitis. Granulomas were mainly located in the inner retinal layer . In some cases, inflammatory cells, which were positive for CD4 or CD68, infiltrated conspicuously in the perivascular area in the inner retinal layer. We hypothesize that sarcoid granulomas may be formed by a immune response to P. acnes hematogenously transmitted to the retina.

Free Research Field

ぶどう膜炎