Verhagen C, Breebaart A C, Suttorp-Schulten M S, Hoekzema R, Van Haren M, Kijlstra A
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Clin Exp Immunol. 1992 Apr;88(1):101-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1992.tb03046.x.
Many studies have described the presence of circulating antibodies against corneal components in patients with corneal disease or uveitis, and in patients with skin or systemic disease with or without ocular involvement. The role of such antibodies in the underlying immunopathological process remains obscure. Here we describe the induction of autoantibodies against the rat cornea. Our attempts to induce corneal autoantibodies by various forms of keratitis and corneal trauma failed. However, circulating corneal autoantibodies could be detected by Western blotting after immunization of BN rats and Lewis rats with bovine corneal protein 54 (BCP 54). Rats immunized with rat corneal extracts (RaCE) or human serum albumin (HSA) as (auto) antigen did not develop corneal autoantibodies. During the study period (greater than 4 months), it was observed that the presence of circulating corneal autoantibodies did not elicit corneal inflammation. Severe keratitis did develop when BCP 54-immunized rats were challenged intracorneally with BCP 54, but the clinical signs were not significantly different from HSA-immunized rats after an intracorneal HSA challenge. Injection of corneal autoantibodies into the corneal stroma did not provoke keratitis. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study demonstrating corneal autoantibodies in rats without actual manipulation of the eye. This model may provide further insights in the role and significance of corneal autoantibodies in disease.
许多研究已描述了角膜疾病或葡萄膜炎患者，以及有或无眼部受累的皮肤或全身性疾病患者体内存在针对角膜成分的循环抗体。此类抗体在潜在免疫病理过程中的作用仍不清楚。在此，我们描述了大鼠角膜自身抗体的诱导情况。我们试图通过各种形式的角膜炎和角膜创伤来诱导角膜自身抗体，但均告失败。然而，在用牛角膜蛋白54（BCP 54）免疫BN大鼠和Lewis大鼠后，通过蛋白质印迹法可检测到循环角膜自身抗体。用大鼠角膜提取物（RaCE）或人血清白蛋白（HSA）作为（自身）抗原免疫的大鼠未产生角膜自身抗体。在研究期间（超过4个月），观察到循环角膜自身抗体的存在并未引发角膜炎症。当用BCP 54对经BCP 54免疫的大鼠进行角膜内攻击时，确实发生了严重的角膜炎，但临床症状与经角膜内HSA攻击后的HSA免疫大鼠并无显著差异。将角膜自身抗体注入角膜基质并未引发角膜炎。据我们所知，这是第一项在未实际操作眼睛的情况下证明大鼠存在角膜自身抗体的研究。该模型可能会为角膜自身抗体在疾病中的作用和意义提供进一步的见解。
