Background Activation of serum complement system is involved in the pathological process of uveitis and open angle glaucoma.Pathogenesis and pathological characteristics of Posner-Schlossman syndrome (PSS) are similar to uveitis and open angle glaucoma.However,etiology of PSS remains unelucidated.The activation complement in PSS patients' serum is rarely reported.Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the activation of serum complement in PSS patients for PSS pathogenesis.Methods A prospective case-controlled study was designed.The peripheral blood simples of 79 PSS patients were collected from Shenzhen Eye Hospital during December 2013 to December 2015,and the peripheral blood simples were obtained from 83 unrelated healthy blood donors as healthy control group.Immuno-scatter turbidmetry was adopted to detect the common activated components in complement pathway in each group including complement C3 (a vital intersection molecule in the three pathways),C4 (the vital molecule both the complement classical and lectin pathways),split products C3a,soluble membrane attack complex (sC5b-9),C 1q (complement classical pathway),L-ficolin (complement lectin pathway),complement factor Bb (complement alternative pathway),IgG,IgA and IgM.The correlation between serum C3a content and sC5b-9 content in PSS group was analyzed.The serum contents of fabric binding protein 2 (FCN2) (a marker of serum classical pathway),factor Bb (a marker of complement alternative pathway),C3a (the common activation products of three complement activation pathways),and sC5b-9 were assayed by ELISA.This research protocal was approved by Shenzhen Eye Hospital and written informed consent was obtained from each PSS patient prior to any medical examination.Results Compared with normal control group,the serum levels of C3,C4,C3a,sC5b-9,C1q,FCN2,IgG,IgA and IgM were significantly higher in PSS group (Z =-4.743,-2.913,-1.985,-2.620,-2.062,-2.500,-7.010,-6.327,-3.652,all at P ＜ 0.05).The serum complement factor Bb level was 13.87 (9.24,32.00) μg/ml in PSS group,which was significantly lower than 20.51 (12.90,33.50) μg/ml in normal control group (Z =-2.515,P =0.012).Serum C3a content was positively correlated with the serum sC5b-9 content in PSS group (rs =0.832,P＜0.001).Conclusions The serum complement system is activated in PSS patients.Complement alternative pathway,classical pathway and lectin pathway might all be involved in the activative process of complement system.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous recovery of severe alopecia areata is rare and the condition is difficult to treat. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the effects and safety of steroid pulse therapy between oral and intravenous administrations between 1999 and 2010 at the Department of Dermatology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital. METHODS: Data were retrospectively retrieved. A satisfactory response was defined as more than 75% hair regrowth in the balding area. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients with more than 50% hair loss were identified and treated, with an overall satisfactory response rate of 51.8%. The mean follow-up time was 37.6 months, with a relapse rate of 22.7%. Patients with alopecia areata (hereafter, AA) of recent onset within one year showed higher response rates (p<0.001) and lower relapse rates compared to patients with AA persisting for more than 1 year. Further, even in patients with alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis or ophiasis type, early treatment resulted in a satisfactory response rate of 47% among the treated patients. In general, oral therapy was as effective and well-tolerated as intravenous therapy. CONCLUSION: The response rate is determined by disease severity and time of intervention, not by the administration form of steroid pulse therapy. Oral steroid pulse therapy can be considered as the first-line treatment for patients with severe AA of recent onset within one year.
Administration, Intravenous ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Dermatology ; Early Intervention (Education)* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hair ; Humans ; Pulse Therapy, Drug ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies*

Background Posner-Schlossman syndrome (PSS) is often recurrent and is a cause of blindness.The etiology of PSS remains to be elucidated.It is reported that there is a certain association between pathogenic microorganisms and PSS in rather small samples.Objective This study was to analyze the related serum antibody levels of cytornegalovirus (CMV),herpes simplex virus (HSV),rubella virus (RV),helicobacter pylori (HP) and anti-streptolysin O (ASO) and provide a clue for the study on pathogenesis and therapy of PSS.Methods A prospective cases-controlled study was carried out in Shenzhen Eye Hospital from December,2014 to December,2016 under the approval of Ethic Committee of this hospital and informed consent of each subject prior to initial of any medical examination.Peripheral blood samples were collected from 82 PSS patients as the PSS group and 100 age-and gender-matched healthy blood donors as the normal control group.The positive rates of serum CMV IgG,CMV IgM,HSV IgG,HSV IgM,RV IgG,RV IgM,HP IgG and HP IgM in the subjects were detected by indirect ELISA,and the positive rate of serum ASO antibody was determined by immuno-scatter turbidmetry.Results The positive rates of serum CMV-IgG,CMV-IgM,HP-IgG,HP-IgM and ASO antibody were 22.0％,17.1％,22.0％,17.1％ and 17.1％ in the PSS group,which were significantly higher than 5.0％,0.0％,10.0％,2.0％ and 7.0％ in the normal control group (x2 =11.726,18.496,4.943,12.766,4.479,all at P＜0.05).The positive rates of serum HSV-IgG,HSV-IgM,RV-IgG and RV-IgM in the PSS group were not significantly different from those in the normal control group (x2 =3.305,0.986,0.898,0.503,all at P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions CMV,HP and hemolytic streptococcal infection may participate in the occurrence and development of PSS.