Experimental immune retinitis: induction by isolated photoreceptors.

An antigen prepared from the outer limbs of the photoreceptors failed to produce retinal lesions within 3 months by systemic immunisation alone in the rabbit. Intra-vitreal injection of the antigen in a pre-immunised rabbit resulted in an Arthus type response. Repeated systemic immunisation for over 1 year after an intravitreal injection produced retinal degeneration in the uninjected eyes of two rabbits. Anti-visual cell antibodies were not shown to be cytotoxic to organ cultures of retina. Possible reasons are discussed in relation to in vitro studies of thyroid, kidney and spinal cord.