Comparison of sister chromatid exchange frequency between two distinct forms of anterior uveitis

Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) is one of the most prevalent forms of intraocular inflammatory disorders. Although immunological and inflammatory factors are thought to play a part in the pathogenesis of the disease, its real etiology is unknown. AAU is mostly seen in two distinct types; the first one an idiopathic form, and the other frequently associated with a systemic disease such as ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and Behçet's disease (BD). Sister choromatid exchange (SCE) analysis was performed on peripheral lymphocytes from the patients with either idiopathic AAU or AAU associated with a systemic disease, in order to explore the genomic instability and DNA damage related to AAU. Twenty-four AAU patient with systemic diseases and 27 idiopathic AAU patients were compared with 20 healthy persons used as the control group. While the SCE frequencies of patients with AAU associated with AS and BD were statistically higher than those of the control group (p<0.00001), no significant difference was observed between those patients with the idiopathic type of AAU and the control group (p>0.05). Idiopathic AAU can be considered as a distinctive localized inflammation, and may have no more genetic basis than AAU associated with AS and BD.