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Impact of autoimmune diseases on eye health

Guest Editors

Rosanna Dammacco, MD , University of Bari Medical School, Italy
Moustafa Sameer Magliyah, MD , Prince Mohammed Medical City, Saudi Arabia
Ruilin Zhu, MD , PhD , Peking University First Hospital , China

BMC Ophthalmology called for submissions to our Collection on the impact of autoimmune disease on eye health, exploring immunological mechanisms, ocular manifestations, and therapeutic advances in uveitis, Sjögren's Syndrome, Graves' Ophthalmopathy, and other autoimmune-related conditions.



New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing 

Meet the Guest Editors

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Rosanna Dammacco, MD, University of Bari Medical School, Italy

Dr Rosanna Dammacco graduated in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Bari in 1995 and specialized in Ophthalmology in 1999. In December 2002 she was appointed University Researcher at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Bari. In addition, in 2003 she was granted the title of Research Doctor in Neurophthalmology. She has carried out and continues to carry out teaching activities in the degree courses of Medicine and Surgery. As of March 31st 2024, she is author or co-author of 35 papers published in international medical journals and has collaborated with renowned research groups from Italy, Germany, Finland and India. Her main scientific interests are non-infectious acute and chronic uveitides, ocular manifestations of large vessel vasculitis including Takayasu arteritis and giant-cell arteritis, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, malignant lymphomas and Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, and vascular retinal diseases, with special reference to diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

Moustafa Sameer Magliyah, MD, Prince Mohammed Medical City, Saudi Arabia

Moustafa Magliyah is a consultant ophthalmologist working at Prince Mohammed Medical City in Aljouf, Saudi Arabia. He has obtained his Ophthalmic subspecialty in medical retina and uveitis from King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and has dedicated his career to be a clinician/researcher in the field of ophthalmology with a special interest in inflammatory eye diseases and inherited retinal diseases. 
 

Ruilin Zhu, MD, PhD, Peking University First Hospital , China

Dr Ruilin Zhu is an ophthalmologist at Peking University First Hospital. She is a member of several professional organizations, including Chinese Medical Doctor association, Beijing Medical Association, and China Alliance for Rare Diseases. She received her PhD degree from Peking University, China and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, USA. Dr Zhu’s clinical interests include retinal diseases, uveitis, and hereditary retinal diseases. Her research mainly focuses on photoreceptor protection and pathogenesis of photoreceptor cell injury, especially inflammatory and immunologic mechanisms in retinal diseases. 






 

About the Collection

BMC Ophthalmology is calling for submissions to our Collection on the impact of autoimmune diseases on eye health. Autoimmune diseases represent a significant challenge in ophthalmology, with conditions like uveitis, Sjögren's Syndrome, Graves' Ophthalmopathy, and systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) often leading to inflammation, tissue damage, and vision impairment. 

The aim of this Collection is to explore the immunological mechanisms underlying these diseases, highlight ocular manifestations, discuss diagnostic and treatment challenges, and present novel insights into therapeutic approaches. Therefore this collection welcomes research articles that include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Immunological mechanisms driving autoimmune diseases affecting the eye
  • Advances in immunomodulatory therapies for autoimmune-related eye conditions
  • Imaging modalities for early detection and monitoring of ocular inflammation
  • Long-term outcomes and quality of life considerations for patients with autoimmune-related ocular diseases.


This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing 

Image credit: © CLINICAL PHOTOGRAPHY / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

  1. To explore the relationship among ocular surface changes, systemic hematologic indexes, and disease activity in primary Sjögren’s syndrome patients.

    Authors: Yan He, Jianing Feng, Wen Shi, Yuerong Ren, Yingyi Liu, Huanmin Kang, Jing Tian and Ying Jie
    Citation: BMC Ophthalmology 2025 25:270
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Limited population-based data as well as proposed mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss suggest autoimmune disease may be a risk factor for glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldw...

    Authors: Clara M. Castillejo Becerra, Robert O. Funk, Darrell Kohli, David O. Hodge and Gavin W. Roddy
    Citation: BMC Ophthalmology 2025 25:73
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. To assess the level of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the aqueous humor (AH) of patients suffering from uveitis, with or without coexisting glaucoma, and compare them with patients di...

    Authors: Junyan Xiao, Chan Zhao, Gangwei Cheng, Hang Song, Yang Zhang and Meifen Zhang
    Citation: BMC Ophthalmology 2024 24:451
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is widely used to treat various autoimmune diseases but carries a risk of retinal toxicity, particularly with prolonged use. Despite advancements, uncertainty persists regarding optima...

    Authors: Nagib Salameh, Carla Abi Doumit, Edmond Jalkh and Joseph Nehme
    Citation: BMC Ophthalmology 2024 24:414
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Impact of autoimmune diseases on eye health" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.