Evaluation of lymphocyte proliferation assay to purified protein derivative, enzyme linked immunosorbant assay, and tuberculin hypersensitivity in Eales' disease.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunological responses against mycobacterial antigens in Eales' disease. Fifty six patients with Eales' disease and fifty age-and-sex-matched healthy volunteers with normal fundus findings taken as controls, were subjected to Mantoux test, using 2 TU/0.1 ml of purified protein derivative (PPD), lymphocyte proliferation assay to PPD, and ELISA to detect IgM and IgG antibodies against mycobacterial A-60 antigen. The results of Mantoux test and lymphocytes proliferation assay did not differ significantly in the two groups suggesting a similar cellular immune response. The number of individuals with recent exposure/reexposure to tuberculosis (IgM+) was significantly higher among patients. However the number of people with past exposure (IgM-IgG+) was significantly higher among controls. Our study indicates that there are no statistically significant differences in the humoral and cellular immune responses to mycobacterial antigens between the patients with Eales' disease and controls, except for a significantly higher IgM positivity among the patients.