[Keratomalacia in rheumatoid arthritis: immunohistologic and enzyme histochemical studies].
Corneal and conjunctival biopsies of 13 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and corneal ulceration (RA-keratomalacia) have been characterized by immunohistological and histochemical analysis. Biopsies from 13 patients with bacterial conjunctivitis, 7 patients with allergic conjunctivitis, 15 patients with senile cataract and 15 patients with keratokonus served as controls. The phenotypic composition of the conjunctival inflammatory infiltration of rheumatoid corneal ulceration was not significantly different from the other inflammatory eye diseases studied. However, conjunctival epithelial cells of all RA-patients showed strong de novo expression of HLA-DR- and DP-antigens. HLA-DQ-antigens were only weakly expressed in a minority of patients. In bacterial conjunctivitis a less intense HLA-class-II-expression was found to be restricted to HLA-DR-antigens. Furthermore, in RA patients stromal fibroblasts of the cornea expressed lysosomal elastase. Both observations could be explained by paracrine action of interleukins produced by infiltrating T-lymphocytes and macrophages. Thus, it might be tempting to speculate that immunologically induced, elastase mediated autodegradation of corneal stroma may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid corneal ulceration.
Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universität Tübingen.
J G
JG
Saal
P
P
Fritz
B
B
Zymela
M
M
Zierhut
H
H
Dürk
C A
CA
Müller
U
U
Pleyer
H J
HJ
Thiel
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000473:pathology*; D018801:CD2 Antigens; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002386:Cataract / Q000473:pathology; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000473:pathology; D003234:Conjunctivitis, Bacterial / Q000473:pathology; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000032:analysis; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D018801:CD2 Antigens; D006680:HLA Antigens; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase
Keratomalazie bei rheumatoider Arthritis: immunhistologische und enzymhistochemische Untersuchungen.