Transplantation immunology of the anterior chamber of the eye. II. Immune response to allogeneic cells.

The mechanism by which the anterior chamber of the eye extends immunologic privilege to allogeneic donor tissues has been studied in inbred rats. Inoculation of allogeneic lymphoid cells into the anterior chamber demonstrated that although the site lacks a lymphatic drainage, the afferent limb of the immunologic reflex arc is intact because the recipient can recognize and mount a specific immune response. In addition, host immunity was able to express itself within the anterior chamber when induced systemically, indicating that the efferent limb of the reflex arc is also intact. Therefore, it is suggested that the unique immunologic features of the anterior chamber may result from the obligate intravenous presentation of graft antigen to the host's systemic immunologic apparatus, a route that prejudices the host's response in the direction of tolerance and/or enhancement rather than cell-mediated, tissue destructive immunity.