Liversidge J M, Sewell H F, Forrester J V
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, UK.
Clin Exp Immunol. 1988 Sep;73(3):489-94.
A possible role for retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) as local antigen presenting cells in immune inflammatory eye disease was investigated by studying the in vitro response of human RPE cells to stimulation with purified IFN-gamma or Con A induced lymphokine. RPE cells cultured with a single dose of 50-1000 u/ml IFN-gamma for up to 8 days to allow maximal Class II gene transcription, expressed HLA DP, DR and DQ antigens in a dose-dependent manner with 80% or more of cells positive for each antigen at the higher concentration. After removal of a suboptimal IFN-gamma stimulus, HLA-DR antigen expression persisted for at least 15 days. HLA-DP and DQ antigens persisted only after maximal IFN-gamma stimulation. Lymphokine from Con A stimulated lymphocytes induced higher levels of DR and DQ expression (80%) over DP (15%) implying complex interactions with other mediators present in the lymphocyte culture supernatant. Since RPE cells phagocytose and recycle autoantigen-rich retinal rod outer segments and co-express HLA DR and DQ Class II antigens in response to IFN-gamma stimulation, an immunoregulatory role in conditions in which retinal autoimmunity is implicated, such as chronic idiopathic posterior uveitis and retinal vasculitis is postulated for these cells.
通过研究人视网膜色素上皮（RPE）细胞对纯化的γ干扰素或刀豆蛋白A诱导的淋巴因子刺激的体外反应，探讨了RPE细胞在免疫炎性眼病中作为局部抗原呈递细胞的可能作用。用50 - 1000 u/ml的γ干扰素单剂量培养RPE细胞长达8天，以实现最大程度的II类基因转录，RPE细胞以剂量依赖方式表达HLA - DP、DR和DQ抗原，在较高浓度下，每种抗原80%或更多的细胞呈阳性。去除次优的γ干扰素刺激后，HLA - DR抗原表达持续至少15天。HLA - DP和DQ抗原仅在最大程度的γ干扰素刺激后持续存在。刀豆蛋白A刺激的淋巴细胞产生的淋巴因子诱导的DR和DQ表达水平（80%）高于DP（15%），这意味着与淋巴细胞培养上清液中存在的其他介质存在复杂的相互作用。由于RPE细胞吞噬并循环富含自身抗原的视网膜杆状外段，并在γ干扰素刺激下共表达HLA DR和DQ II类抗原，推测这些细胞在涉及视网膜自身免疫的疾病中，如慢性特发性后葡萄膜炎和视网膜血管炎，具有免疫调节作用。
