[Humoral immune response to the retinal S-antigen in premature infants and its role in the development and course of retinopathy of prematurity].

The humoral immune response to the retinal S-antigen was studied in premature babies with active and cicatricle stages of retinopathy of the premature (RP) and in the controls (102 serum test). The presence of antibodies to the S-antigen of classes IgG and IgM was established by the enzyme multiplied analysis and by an authors' developed test-system. A definite specific humoral response to the S-antigen correlated with the nature of the course and prognosis of the disease was found in 71% of cases. The first peak of IgM-antibodies was found in babies of the risk-group (preretinopathy), it correlated with a poor prognosis (progression of RP). The second peak was highly pronounced in babies with the terminal cicatricle stages of RP. The wave-like dynamics of IgG-antibodies suggests that specific circulating immune complexes shape up. The role of immune responses, induced by the retinal S-antigen, in the RP pathogenesis is discussed.