Expression of Interferon-γ in the Lens Exacerbates Anterior Uveitis and Induces Retinal Degenerative Changes in Transgenic Lewis Rats

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is a pleiotropic cytokine that has been implicated in immunopathogenic mechanisms of a number of inflammatory diseases of autoimmune or infectious disease etiology. However, its exact role is still a matter of debate. In experimental mouse models, IFN-γ has been shown to exacerbate autoimmune thyroiditis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and autoimmune neuritis while it confers protection against experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and experimental uveitis. In this study, we generated transgenic rats with constitutive expression of IFN-γ in the eye to study its paracrine effects and to investigate whether local production of IFN-γ also confers protection against uveitis in the rat species. We show here that chronic exposure of ocular cells to IFN-γ results in apoptotic death of retinal ganglion cells, development of chronic choroiditis, formation of retinal in-foldings, and activation of proinflammatory genes. In contrast to its protective systemic effect in the mouse, constitutive secretion of IFN-γ in the rat eye was found to predispose the development of severe anterior uveitis and induction of retinal degenerative processes that impair visual acuity. Our data underscore the danger in extrapolation of cytokine effects in the mouse to humans without corroborating evidence in other species.