Superoxide in ocular inflammation: human and experimental uveitis.

A possible involvement of superoxide in the pathogenesis of uveal inflammation in man and experimental animals was investigated. Superoxide production by the leukocytes of Behcet patients was significantly higher in the attack phase than in the remission phase. Leukocyte superoxide generation was also enhanced in guinea pigs with S-antigen-induced experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU). If the animals were treated with superoxide dismutase (SOD) at the onset of EAU, aqueous humor cell count was significantly lower than that of control (i.e., without SOD treatment). Infiltration of the inflammatory cells in the anterior retina was markedly reduced in SOD-treated animals. A similar protective effect of SOD against tissue damage was also observed in a bovine serum albumin-induced passive Arthus type uveitis in rabbits. These results suggest that superoxide may play a role in causing tissue damage in animal models of ocular inflammation and possibly in Behcet disease.