Immunopathology of necrotising scleritis.

AIM To detect the immunohistopathology of necrotising scleritis. METHODS Immunohistochemical staining was performed on two groups of enucleated eyes with necrotising scleritis (systemic autoimmune disease and idiopathic scleritis). Deparaffinised sections were stained with CD3, CD20, CD68, CD8, CD4 and dendritic reticulum cells (DRC). RESULTS Within the autoimmune group, about 43% of inflammatory cells stained positive with CD20, 35% with CD68, 17% with CD3, 8% with CD8, 4% with DRC and less than 1% with CD4. Within the idiopathic group of eyes, about 43% of cells stained positive for CD68, 23% for CD3, 17% for CD20, 7% for CD8, 1% for DRC and less than 1% for CD4. CONCLUSIONS The infiltrate within the group of eyes with systemic autoimmune disease suggests that the inflammation may be driven by B cells. However, the large numbers of CD68 cells found in both groups of eyes indicate that macrophages could play a role in the necrotising process.