THE ANALYSIS OF THE VKH DISEASE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN - SDS INSOLUBLE PROTEIN

1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 09671784
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: AKITA UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: YAMAKI Kunihiko AKITA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR., 医学部, 助教授 (20125751)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KONDO Isao AKITA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.RESEARCH ASSOCIATE., 医学部, 助手 (50234927)
• Project Period (FY): 1997 – 1998
• Keywords: Experimental VKH disease / Tyrosinase family protein / Reactivity of the T cells / T cell clone

Research Abstract

We have been analysing the unsoluble fraction of melanocytes. We reported that tyrosinase family protein that is expressed specifically in the melanocytes can induce the experimental Vogt Koyanagi Harada disease(EVKH) in Lewis rat. In this study, we induced EVKH in pigmented rats. Clinicaly, some of the fundus shows so called 'sunset glow fundus' like appearance. histologically, markedly thickning of the choroid, Dalen-Fucks nodule and granulomataous inflammatory changes were found in the eye of the pigmented rats.
Extra ocular sign of the inflammatory lesion of the skin and meningitis were also found in the pimented rats.
The lymphocyte proliferation assay of the VKH disease patients was done. the lymphocytes of the VKH disease patients proliferated against the peptides derived from tyrosinase family proteins. Taken together, it is suggested that VKH disease is an autoimmune disease induced against the tyrosinase family proteins.