Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (660 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Inflammation of part or all of the uvea, the middle (vascular) tunic of the eye, and commonly involving the other tunics (sclera and cornea, and the retina). (Dorland, 27th ed)
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Uveitides.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Uveal Diseases
- Narrower topics
- Panuveitis; Uveitis, Intermediate; Uveitis, Suppurative; Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 37,433 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Uveitis” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 6,610 of them (17.7%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 15,046 records.
Reviews account for 4,367 records (11.7%) and meta-analyses for 203. Randomized controlled trials number 455 (1.2%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 15,046 |
| 2000-2009 | 6,931 |
| 2010-2019 | 8,846 |
| 2020 onward | 6,610 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 4,367 | 11.7% |
| Meta-analyses | 203 | 0.5% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 455 | 1.2% |
Method: PubMed query "Uveitis"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in eye, ear, nose and throat
Eye, hearing, nose and throat studies rely on specialist tests (visual acuity, eye pressure, audiograms, scopes) and on patient-reported symptoms, which vary between people and with age. Some conditions improve without treatment, so comparison groups matter. Nothing on this page is advice about diagnosis or treatment; sudden loss of sight or hearing needs urgent care from a qualified clinician. Check how the outcome was tested, the age of the people studied and how long they were followed.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sestrin2 Exerts a Novel Protective Effect Against LPS-Induced Ferroptosis via the Nrf2-SLC7A11-GPX4 Signaling Axis | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 5 | cc by PMID 41294929 · DOI · PMC12651112 |
| Effectiveness and Safety of Baricitinib for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis or Chronic Anterior Antinuclear Antibody-Positive Uveitis | 2026 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 5 | cc by PMID 40947519 · DOI · PMC13034097 |
| Long-term outcomes of JIA-associated uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis | 2025 | Meta-analysis Design not recorded in structured metadata | 5 | cc by PMID 41314670 · DOI · PMC12666193 |
Sestrin2 Exerts a Novel Protective Effect Against LPS-Induced Ferroptosis via the Nrf2-SLC7A11-GPX4 Signaling Axis [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Uveitis is a leading cause of visual impairment linked to systemic inflammatory diseases.
- Closing excerpt
- SESN2 plays a crucial role in protecting against inflammation and ferroptosis via the Nrf2 pathway, presenting a promising therapeutic target for uveitis management.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (229 words)
Uveitis is a leading cause of visual impairment linked to systemic inflammatory diseases. Current corticosteroid treatments are limited by significant long-term side effects. Sestrin 2 (SESN2), a stress-responsive antioxidant protein, is implicated in the regulation of ferroptosis and inflammation. This study investigates SESN2's role in modulating inflammation and ferroptosis in endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) models, aiming to develop safer therapeutic alternatives for uveitis management. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to EIU via intravitreal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without SESN2-overexpressing adeno-associated virus (AAV). Clinical evaluations, cytokine profiling, and ferroptosis marker assessments were conducted. Additionally, BV2 microglial cells were genetically modified to overexpress or silence SESN2, followed by analyses of inflammatory cytokine production, oxidative stress, ferroptosis-related pathways, mitochondrial function, and involvement of the Nrf2 signaling pathway. SESN2 expression was significantly reduced in vivo and in vitro following LPS treatment. AAV-mediated SESN2 overexpression suppressed inflammatory responses. Mechanistically, SESN2 inhibited ferroptosis by upregulating ferroptosis-resistant proteins (SLC7A11, GPX4) and reducing lipid peroxidation markers (4-HNE). In vitro, SESN2 overexpression reduced oxidative stress and ferroptosis, while SESN2 knockdown exacerbated these effects. SESN2's protective role was mediated by Nrf2 activation, enhancing antioxidant defenses and ferroptosis inhibition. Inhibition of Nrf2 reversed SESN2's protective effects, underscoring the importance of the p62/Nrf2/GPX4 axis in SESN2-mediated ferroptosis protection. SESN2 plays a crucial role in protecting against inflammation and ferroptosis via the Nrf2 pathway, presenting a promising therapeutic target for uveitis management.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41294929 · DOI · PMC12651112
Effectiveness and Safety of Baricitinib for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis or Chronic Anterior Antinuclear Antibody-Positive Uveitis [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of baricitinib in pediatric patients with active juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIA-U) or chronic anterior antinuclear antibody-positive uveitis, who had an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX) or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).
- Closing excerpt
- Baricitinib safety profile in this study was consistent with previous studies in children and adults with other diseases.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (260 words)
ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of baricitinib in pediatric patients with active juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIA-U) or chronic anterior antinuclear antibody-positive uveitis, who had an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX) or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).MethodsJUVE-BRIGHT was an open-label, active-controlled phase-3 multicenter trial that used a novel design, including 1:1 randomization to an active reference arm. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of responders at week 24 (W24), defined according to the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) criteria as a two-step decrease in the level of inflammation (anterior chamber cells) or decrease to zero through W24 in the most severely affected eye at baseline. Study success was based on a prespecified Bayesian success rule: the study was deemed successful if there was >80% posterior probability that the baricitinib SUN criteria response rate at W24 was at least 57%.ResultsThis study enrolled 30 pediatric patients. The study primary endpoint was not met. In the baricitinib group, 36.8% of MTX-inadequate responder (MTX-IR) and bDMARD-IR patients and 20% of MTX-IR patients achieved a two-step decrease in SUN criteria at W24. Eight patients (33.3%) achieved a response at W24, resulting in 1.03% posterior probability of a response rate of >57%. Safety data were consistent with the established safety profile in other baricitinib indications in pediatric and adult patients.ConclusionAlthough the primary endpoint was not met, the data provide important information on baricitinib for the treatment of children with JIA-U refractory to both MTX and bDMARDs. Baricitinib safety profile in this study was consistent with previous studies in children and adults with other diseases.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40947519 · DOI · PMC13034097
Long-term outcomes of JIA-associated uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Background and aimJuvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIAU) is a potentially blinding condition beginning in childhood.
- Closing excerpt
- ConclusionLong-term prevalence and cumulative incidence of JIAU complications may persist in adulthood, with >10% developing severe visual impairment despite biologic therapy.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (171 words)
Background and aimJuvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIAU) is a potentially blinding condition beginning in childhood. Flare-ups may occur throughout life, leading to cumulative ocular damage. This systematic review aimed to summarise the latest evidence on long-term ocular damage in adults with JIAU, focusing on studies published in the past 20 years.MethodsThe review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (ID 1033522). We included human studies on JIAU with at least 5 years of follow-up and/or young people ≥18 years old, published after 2000. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We extracted the cumulative incidence of complications and performed a meta-analysis to obtain pooled estimates (PE), assess heterogeneity, sensitivity, robustness and reporting bias using R packages.Results22 retrospective or cohort studies were eligible, encompassing 2208 long-term JIAU cases. Study quality was rated as good in 10, fair in 7 and poor in 5. Despite high heterogeneity (p50% biologic exposure, PE were numerically lower.ConclusionLong-term prevalence and cumulative incidence of JIAU complications may persist in adulthood, with >10% developing severe visual impairment despite biologic therapy.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41314670 · DOI · PMC12666193
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article HLA-B51/B5 and the risk of Behçet's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control genetic association studies [4]
- Research article Prevalence of extra-articular manifestations in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis [5]
- Research article Outcomes of cataract surgery in patients with uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Current evidence of methotrexate efficacy in childhood chronic uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis approach [7]
- Research article Behçet's Syndrome [8]
- Research article Current evidence of anti-tumor necrosis factor α treatment efficacy in childhood chronic uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis approach of individual drugs [9]
References
- Zhang X, Yin J, Yang Y, Peng J, Xu Y, Zhang W, et al.. Sestrin2 Exerts a Novel Protective Effect Against LPS-Induced Ferroptosis via the Nrf2-SLC7A11-GPX4 Signaling Axis. . 2025. PMID 41294929 · DOI · PMC12651112
- Ramanan AV, Guly CM, Simonini G, Keller SY, Sen P, Holzkaemper T, et al.. Effectiveness and Safety of Baricitinib for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis or Chronic Anterior Antinuclear Antibody-Positive Uveitis. . 2026. PMID 40947519 · DOI · PMC13034097
- Scagnellato L, Cozzi G, Lorenzin M, Poncina G, Rizzetto S, Ramonda R. Long-term outcomes of JIA-associated uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. . 2025. PMID 41314670 · DOI · PMC12666193
- de Menthon M, Lavalley MP, Maldini C, Guillevin L, Mahr A. HLA-B51/B5 and the risk of Behçet's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control genetic association studies. Arthritis Rheum. 2009. PMID 19790126 · DOI · PMC3867978
- Stolwijk C, van Tubergen A, Castillo-Ortiz JD, Boonen A. Prevalence of extra-articular manifestations in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2015. PMID 23999006 · DOI
- Mehta S, Linton MM, Kempen JH. Outcomes of cataract surgery in patients with uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2014. PMID 24983790 · DOI
- Simonini G, Paudyal P, Jones GT, Cimaz R, Macfarlane GJ. Current evidence of methotrexate efficacy in childhood chronic uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis approach. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2013. PMID 22879466 · DOI
- Saadoun D, Bodaghi B, Cacoub P. Behçet's Syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2024. PMID 38354143 · DOI
- Simonini G, Druce K, Cimaz R, Macfarlane GJ, Jones GT. Current evidence of anti-tumor necrosis factor α treatment efficacy in childhood chronic uveitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis approach of individual drugs. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2014. PMID 24740981 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.