This study examines a possible immunological contribution to the development of proliferative intraocular disorders (PID) with traction retinal detachment. We analysed 24 periretinal membranes and 35 vitreous aspirates from patients with idiopathic proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), traumatic PVR, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Lymphocytes and complement factor C3 deposits could not be detected in any of the membrane specimens. IgG was present in all but one of the PVR membranes but in less than half of the PDR specimens and there to a lesser extent. The IgG immunoreactivity was not collocalized with macrophages but instead located to the extracellular matrix. The intravitreal levels of IgG (ELISA) and protein were elevated in PID but the range of these biochemical changes was so wide that there were no significant differences of the IgG levels between the single types of PID. Using electrophoresis and Western blotting, C3 was detected in normal and pathologic vitreous but smaller C3 fragments indicative of C3 breakdown were only found in PID.