Chronic intraocular inflammation and development of retinal degenerative disease

Abstract

Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines in the vitreous of patients with chronic intraocular inflammatory (uveitis) have long been suspected to contribute to the pathogenesis of retinal degenerative diseases. However, direct connection between chronic inflammation and development of retinal degenerative diseases has been difficult to establish because we lack an appropriate animal model of co-existing chronic intraocular inflammation and neurodegeneration. This report discusses new developments in immunological and diabetic research that suggest that persistent secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines during uveitis might induce insulin resistance and retinal degenerative changes that contribute to the pathogenesis of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), a retinal dystrophy of significant public health importance.