Editorial: New Insights Into Uveitis: Immunity, Genes, and Microbes

Abstract

Uveitis, comprised of a clinically heterogenous group of more than 100 subtypes with diverse etiologies, is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Both innate and adaptive immune responses are reported to be actively involved in the development of uveitis. The occurrence of uveitis is multifactorial, with genetic inheritance, immune dysregulation, gut microbiota abnormalities, and environmental factors involved. This Research Topic aimed at bringing together contributions covering various aspects related to the pathogenesis of uveitis, with the hope to drive forward a more detailed and in-depth understanding of this challenging disease. Genetic background is an important predisposing factor for uveitis. Takeuchi et al. contribute a comprehensive review to summarize recent findings regarding the genetic pathogenesis of noninfectious uveitis. Multiple MHC and non-MHC genes have been identified to participate in the pathogenesis of various uveitis subtypes. They indicate that the Th17 immune response is a common key in the pathogenesis of non-infectious uveitis. With growing understanding of the predisposing genetic background, a personalized and precise treatment strategy based on the patient’s genetic make-up could be expected in the future. Pei et al. studied the association of SNP polymorphisms of the IL33/ST2 gene with Behcet’s disease. They report that rs3821204 is associated with the development of this disease, and the frequency of rs2210463 G allele is lower in patients with genital involvement. Kuiper and Venema review the relationship between the HLA-A29 serotype and Birdshot Uveitis. They discuss how key amino acid positions of HLA-A29 impact the peptide binding preference and interaction with T cells and to what extent the risk genes ERAP1 and ERAP2 affect HLA-A29. They also argue why Birdshot Uveitis only affects HLA-A29-positive individuals. Huang et al. studied the association of SNP polymorphisms in CTLA-4 and PD-1 genes with Posner-Schlossman Syndrome (PSS) in a southern Chinese population. They report that the frequencies of the CACGG haplotype (rs733618-rs4553808-rs5742909-rs231775-rs3087243) of CTLA-4 and the TGAGC haplotype (rs10204525-rs2227981-rs2227982-rs41386349-rs36084323) of PD-1 in the PSS group are significantly lower than those in the control group. Circulating plasma levels of sCTLA-4 and sPD-1 in PSS patients are significantly higher than those in controls. Yang et al. address the SNP polymorphisms of complement genes in PSS patients. Rs800292 at the CFH gene is significantly associated and the additive effect of CFH-rs800292 and SERPING1-rs3824988 is identified. Furthermore, the rs800292 AA genotype is associated with a higher intraocular pressure and higher frequency of recurrence.