Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Neuroendocrine alterations in uveitis patients

  • Clinical Investigation
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Experimental models of autoimmune uveitis are consistently associated with pinealitis. To investigate the interaction between the neuroendocrine and immune systems in humans with uveitis, we measured serum levels of the predominant pineal hormone melatonin (MEL), prolactin (PRL) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). A total of 100 patients with different forms of uveitis and 30 age-matched, healthy blood donors were evaluated retrospectively. The day-time MEL was reduced significantly (P ≤ 0.01) in patients with iritis and iridocyclitis, and highly significantly (P ≤ 0.001) in patients with intermediate uveitis, chorioretinitis and panuveitis. In 38% of patients day-time MEL levels in plasma were below the limit of detection. PRL was significantly reduced (P <0.01) in patients with intermediate uveitis. IL-2 was reduced to about 50% of control values in all groups of patients. The results suggest a possible neuroendocrine-immune interaction in uveitis patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Angeli A, Terzolo M, Piovesan A, Torta M, Buniva T, Paccotti P, Revelli A, Guidetti D, Cassoni P, Massobrio M (1991) Evidence for a sex-specific facilitatory effect of melatonin on prolactin secretion. Is pineal-prolactin interaction relevant to the clinical course of breast cancer? In: Fraschini F, Reiter RJ (eds) Role of melatonin and pineal peptides in neuroimmunomodulation. Plenum Press, New York, pp 263–271

    Google Scholar 

  2. Arocker-Mettinger E, Asenbauer T, Ulbrich S, Grabner G (1992) Serum interleukin-2 receptor levels in uveitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 32:66

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bateman A, Singh A, Kral T and Solomon S (1989) The immune-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Endocr Rev 10:92–112

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bernton EW, Meltzer MS, and Holaday JW (1988) Suppression of macrophage activation and T-lymphocyte function in hypoprolactinemic mice. Science 239:401–404

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bispink G, Zimmermann R, Weise HC, Leidenberger F (1990) Influence of melatonin on the sleep-independent component of prolactin secretion. J Pineal Res 8:97–106

    Google Scholar 

  6. Chiou GCY, Aimoto T, Chiou LY (1985) Melatonergic involvement in diurnal changes of intraocular pressure in rabbit eyes. Ophthalmic Res 17:373–378

    Google Scholar 

  7. Flückiger E, del Pozo E, von Werder K (1982) Prolactin. Physiology, pharmacology and clinical findings. (Monographs on endocrinology, vol 23) Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fraschini F, Reiter RJ (eds) (1991) Role of melatonin and pineal peptides in neuroimmunomodulation. (NATO ASI Series, Life Sciences, vol 204) Plenum Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  9. Gregerson DS, Obritsch WF, Fling SP, Cameron ID (1986) S-antigen-specific rat T cell lines recognize peptide fragments of S-antigen and mediate experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis and pinealitis. J Immunol 136:2875–2882

    Google Scholar 

  10. Gupta D (1992) Pathophysiology of immune-neuroendocrine network. Neuroendocrinol Lett 14:1–19

    Google Scholar 

  11. Gupta D, Attanasio A (1988) Pathophysiology of pineal function in health and disease in children. Pineal Res Rev 6:261–300

    Google Scholar 

  12. Gupta D, Riedel L, Frick HI, Attanasio A, Ranke MB (1983) Circulating melatonin in children: in relation to puberty, endocrine disorders, functional tests and racial origin. Neuroendocrinol Lett 5:63–68

    Google Scholar 

  13. Hedner LP, Bynke G (1985) Endogenous iridocyclitis relieved during treatment with bromocriptine. Am J Ophthalmol 100:618–619

    Google Scholar 

  14. Illum N, Korf HW, Julian K, Rasmussen T, Herning M, Krabbe S (1992) Concurrent uveoretinitis and pineocytoma in a child suggests a causal relationship. Br J Ophthalmol 76:574–576

    Google Scholar 

  15. Iuvone PM (1988) Dopamine: a light-adaptive modulator of melatonin synthesis in the frog retina. In: Dopaminergic mechanisms in vision. Alan R. Liss, New York, pp 95–98

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kalsow CM, Dwyer AE, Smith AW, Nifong TP (1992) Pinealitis coincident with recurrent uveitis: immunohistochemical studies. Curr Eye Res [Suppl] 11:47–51

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kalsow CM, Dwyer AE, Smith AW, Nifong TP (1993) Pinealitis accompanying equine recurrent uveitis. Br J Ophthalmol 77:46–48

    Google Scholar 

  18. Linker-Israeli M, Bakke AC, Kitridou RC, Gendler S, Gillis S, Horwitz DA (1983) Defective production of IL-1 and IL-2 in patients with systemic lupus erythematodes (SLE). J Immunol 130:2651–2655

    Google Scholar 

  19. Lissoni P, Resentini M, Mauri R, De Medici C, Morabito F, Esposti D, Di Bella L, Esposti G, Rossi D, Parravicini L, Legname G, Fraschini F (1986) Effect of an acute injection of melatonin of the basal secretion of hypophyseal hormones in prepubertal and pubertal healthy subjects. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 111:305–311

    Google Scholar 

  20. Lissoni P, Barni S, Tancini G, Crisponi S, Cattaneo G, Pellinzoni F, Eposti D, Eposti G, Lucini V, Fraschini F (1988) Pineal-immune system connection: possible existence of a feed-back mechanism between interleukin-2 production and melatonin secretion. J Endocrinol Invest 11 [Suppl 1]:114–118

    Google Scholar 

  21. Maestroni GJM, Conti A, Pierpaoli W (1988) Role of the pineal gland in immunity. III: Melatonin antagonizes the immunosuppressive effect of acute stress via an opiatergic mechanism. Immunology 63:465–469

    Google Scholar 

  22. Maestroni GJM, Conti A, Lissoni P (1992) Melatonin and the immune system. Exp Eye Res [Suppl] 55:57

    Google Scholar 

  23. Martin XD, Malina HZ, Brennan MC, Hendrickson PH, Lichter PR (1992) The ciliary body — the third organ found to synthesize indoleamines in human. Eur J Ophthalmol 2:67–72

    Google Scholar 

  24. Merchant A, Soukiasian SH, Zhao TZ, Foster CS (1991) Aqueous soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in clinically quiescent uveitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci [Suppl] 31:677

    Google Scholar 

  25. Mochizuki M, Charley J, Kuwabara T, Nussenblatt RB, Gery I (1983) Involvement of the pineal gland in rats with experimental autoimmune uveitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 24:1333–1338

    Google Scholar 

  26. Palestine AG, Muellenberg-Coulombre CG, Kim MK, Gelato MC, Nussenblatt RB (1987) Bromocriptine and low dose cyclosporine in the treatment of experimental autoimmune uveitis in the rat. J Clin Invest 79:1078–1081

    Google Scholar 

  27. Pang SF, Allen AE (1986) Extrapineal melatonin in the retina: Its regulation and physiological function. Pineal Res Rev 4:55–58

    Google Scholar 

  28. Pleyer U, Gupta D, Weidle EG, Lisch W, Zierhut M, Thiel HJ (1991) Elevated prolactin levels in human aqueous humor in patients with anterior uveitis. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmology 229:447–451

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rohde BH, McLaughlin MA, Chiou LY (1985) Existence and role of endogenous ocular melatonin. J Ocul Pharmacol 2:235–243

    Google Scholar 

  30. Rollag MD, Niswender GD (1976) Radioimmunoassay of serum concentrations of melatonin in sheep exposed to different lighting regimens. Endocrinology 98:482–489

    Google Scholar 

  31. Rowland JM, Potter DE, Reiter RJ (1981) Circadian rhythm in intraocular pressure: a rabbit model. Curr Eye Res 1:169–173

    Google Scholar 

  32. Shirakawa H, Ogino N (1987) Novel activity of melatonin. Its chemotactic effect of retinal pigment epithelial cells. Ophthalmic Res 19:226–229

    Google Scholar 

  33. Smith SD, Gregory DS (1989) A circadian rhythm of aqueous flow underlies the circadian rhythm of IOP in NZW rabbits. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:775–778

    Google Scholar 

  34. Touitou Y, Le Hoang P, Claustrat B, Attye T, Auzeby A, Brun J, Bogdan A, Touitou C (1986) Decreased nocturnal plasma melatonin peak in patients with a functional alteration of the retina in relation with uveitis. Neurosci Lett 70:170–174

    Google Scholar 

  35. Waldmann TA, Goldmann CK, Robb RJ, Depper JM, Leonard WJ, Sharrow SO, Bongiovanni KF, Korsmeyer SJ, Greene WC (1984) Expression of interleukin-2-receptors on activated human B cells. J Exp Med 160:1450–1466

    Google Scholar 

  36. Wiechmann AF (1986) Melatonin: parallels in pineal gland and retina. Exp Eye Res 42:507–527

    Google Scholar 

  37. Wiechmann AF, O'Steen WK (1992) Melatonin increases photoreceptor susceptibility to light-induced damage. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 33:1894–1902

    Google Scholar 

  38. Zierhut M, Thiel HJ, Pleyer U, Waetjen R, Weidle EG (1991) Bromocriptin in der Therapie der chronisch rezidivierenden Uveitis anterior. Fortschr Ophthalmol 88:161–164

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Endocrinology, University Children's Hospital, Rümelinstrasse 23, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Hartmut A. Wollmann, Sabine Friedel & Derek Gupta

  2. Department of General Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik, Schleichstrasse 12, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Uwe Pleyer, Manfred Zierhut & Hans-Jürgen Thiel

Authors
  1. Hartmut A. Wollmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Uwe Pleyer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sabine Friedel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Manfred Zierhut
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hans-Jürgen Thiel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Derek Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wollmann, H.A., Pleyer, U., Friedel, S. et al. Neuroendocrine alterations in uveitis patients. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 232, 297–301 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00194479

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00194479

Keywords

Search

Navigation