The Human Leukocyte Antigen Complex and Chronic Ocular Inflammatory Diorder

PURPOE: To review the role of gene product from the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex in the normal functioning of the immune ytem, ocular inflammation, and model of autoimmunity. METHOD: A review of recently publihed report. REULT: Many chronic ocular inflammatory dieae are aociated with pecific allele of the HLA complex. Undertanding how HLA gene product function normally provide clue to the mechanim of dieae aociation. In the thymu, thee molecule control the hape of the developing T-cell repertoire, leading to elf-tolerance. In the periphery, HLA molecule bind and preent peptide fragment to T cell, leading to a variety of effector function. Although effector function are for the mot part beneficial, model are reviewed in which peptide-HLA interaction lead to T-cell repone with pathologic conequence. Herpe tromal keratiti i an informative animal model highlighting the role of elf-tolerance, infection, and molecular mimicry in the development of autoimmunity. CONCLUION: Human leukocyte antigen gene product may be aociated with chronic inflammatory diorder through the unique preentation of “dieae-inducing” peptide or the development of a T-cell repertoire prone to autoreactivity and molecular mimicry.