Analysis of aqueous humour in uveitis by high performance liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Aqueous humour from patients with Fuchs' heterochromic cyclitis (FHC) and other types of uveitis was analysed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Using HPLC, the number of peaks and their respective elution times were similar for the FHC, uveitis and control groups. SDS-PAGE and silver staining showed immunoglobulin G migrating as two to four distinct bands in all non-reduced samples. In the reduced state, 1-5 unidentified low MW bands (10-19 kD) were seen. Two bands at 19 and 10 kD appeared to be specific for the uveitis group, and a band at 11 kD was present in 76% of uveitis and 19% of FHC patients. None of these three bands were detected in any of the control group. As yet the identity of these low MW proteins and their possible significance in the pathogenesis of intraocular inflammation are unknown.