title: The role of class II antigen-expressing cells in corneal allograft immunity.
abstract: The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of Class II antigen-expressing cells (Class II+) cells in the cornea and the generation of allograft immunity. Wistar/Furth (W/F) rat Class II+ cells were injected in various numbers (0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 X 10(6) into the corneal stroma of Fischer 344 (F344) rats. For comparison, the same numbers of W/F Class II+ cells were injected directly into the peritoneal cavity of F344 rats. Also, W/F cells were injected into the corneas of F344 rats and the corneas were "grafted" intraperitoneally in F344 hosts. The results showed that up to 20 X 10(6) class II+ cells injected in situ into the corneal stroma did not elicit a serum cytotoxic antibody response or a splenic or blood cytotoxic T-cell response against donor Class II antigens. In contrast, systemic immune responses were elicited by both direct intraperitoneal injection of large numbers (10 or 20 X 10(6] of allogeneic Class II+ cells and by intraperitoneal grafting of syngeneic corneas carrying similar numbers of allogeneic Class II+ cells. F344 recipients of a syngeneic cornea containing 10 or 20 x 10(6) W/F Class II+ cells or a suspension of W/F cells exhibited an accelerated rejection of W/F skin allografts (13.3 versus 9.0 days, first- versus second-set rejection). These results indicate that the number of Class II+ cells required to elicit a systemic immune response is larger than the number of Class II+ cells present in the normal cornea.
authors.affiliation: Lions Eye Research Laboratories, Louisiana State University Medical Center School of Medicine, New Orleans.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gebhardt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000276:immunology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007518:Isoantibodies