Study of Serum Antinuclear Factor in Uveitis

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Abstract
Introduction Some evidence suggests that uveitis may be related to an autoimmune process.1-5 Previous reports from this laboratory (Hallett, Wolkowicz, Leopold et al,6 1960; Hallett, Wolkowicz, Leopold, et al, 19622) have described the presence of a rheumatoid factor in 20% of patients with uveitis, demonstrated by the latex agglutination test and the presence of an autoimmune component in 52% by the autoimmune complement fixation test. From those studies Leopold3 suggested that endogenous uveitis could be propagated if not initiated by an autoimmune response. Autoimmune diseases have been broadly classified into two categories by Burnet7,8: "disturbed antigen" diseases and "disturbed tolerance" diseases. The former are ex-emplified by Hashimoto's thyroiditis and the latter by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It has been suggested that autoimmune uveitis may be classified into the category of "disturbed antigen" diseases.5 Since the description of the lupus erythematosus cell phenomenon by Hargraves