Verhagen C, Den Heijer R, Broersma L, Breebaart A C, Kijlstra A
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1991 Dec;32(13):3238-44.
The immunopathologic response following the injection of various antigens into the rat cornea was evaluated. This reaction, known as Wessely's phenomenon, was believed to be primarily triggered by antibodies and complement activation. The keratitis model was originally described in rabbits, using heterologous serum or purified proteins. In rats only, heterologous serum induced corneal inflammation with the characteristics of Wessely's phenomenon, (ie, a quiescent period of several days between antigen injection and onset of clinical signs and corneal opacification). Using rats allowed us to characterize the cellular infiltrate with immunohistochemical methods. Marked infiltration of the cornea by macrophages was observed, as was infiltration by polymorphonuclear cells, although to a lesser extent. Furthermore, T lymphocytes of the helper phenotype were demonstrated. Antibodies to complement activation product C3c showed faint staining, whereas B lymphocytes and plasma cells were absent. In addition, inflammatory cells and ocular tissues, particularly the limbal and peripheral corneal epithelium, were found to express major histocompatibility complex class II antigens during the inflammatory response. After the inflammation had subsided, macrophages and T lymphocytes remained in the corneal stroma (at least until day 30). These findings suggest that antigen-induced keratitis in rats might be mediated, at least partially, by T helper lymphocytes.
评估了向大鼠角膜注射各种抗原后的免疫病理反应。这种反应，即韦塞利现象，被认为主要由抗体和补体激活引发。角膜炎模型最初是在兔子身上描述的，使用的是异种血清或纯化蛋白。仅在大鼠中，异种血清可诱导出具有韦塞利现象特征的角膜炎症（即抗原注射与临床症状和角膜混浊出现之间有几天的静止期）。使用大鼠使我们能够用免疫组织化学方法对细胞浸润进行表征。观察到角膜有明显的巨噬细胞浸润，多形核细胞也有浸润，不过程度较轻。此外，还证实了辅助表型的T淋巴细胞存在。补体激活产物C3c的抗体显示出微弱的染色，而B淋巴细胞和浆细胞不存在。另外，在炎症反应期间发现炎症细胞和眼组织，特别是角膜缘和周边角膜上皮表达主要组织相容性复合体II类抗原。炎症消退后，巨噬细胞和T淋巴细胞仍留在角膜基质中（至少持续到第30天）。这些发现表明，大鼠中抗原诱导的角膜炎可能至少部分由辅助性T淋巴细胞介导。
