Prolongation of rat corneal graft survival by treatment with anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody.
A rat model of orthotopic corneal graft rejection was used to investigate the effect of depletion of subpopulations of immune cells by treatment with monoclonal antibodies. Though CD4+ cells were not eliminated completely by anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies there was a profound delay in the rejection times of orthotopic corneal allografts. Furthermore a third of the CD4+ depleted animals failed to reject corneal allografts by 100 days post grafting. Despite an almost complete depletion of circulating CD8+ cells, the anti-CD8 antibody treated animals rejected corneal allografts in a similar time course to allografted controls treated with a non-reactive control antibody OX21. These results demonstrate that CD8+ T-cells are not required for rejection of corneal allografts whereas CD4+ T-cells play a critical role in the rejection response. Treatment with anti-CD4 antibodies may have a useful clinical application.
University Department of Ophthalmology, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.
W
W
Ayliffe
Y
Y
Alam
E B
EB
Bell
D
D
McLeod
I V
IV
Hutchinson
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens