Corneal allografts induce cytotoxic T cell but not delayed hypersensitivity responses in mice.
In order to study the cellular immune responses induced by corneal allografts transplanted to a nonimmunologically privileged site, we have used a previously described murine heterotopic corneal allograft model. BALB/c (H-2d) corneal allografts transplanted to a vascular graft bed on the thorax of C57BL/6 (H-2b) recipients were rapidly rejected within 14 days, while corneal syngrafts survived indefinitely (greater than 28 days). Analysis of both primary and secondary cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses 7, 10, 14, and 21 days after heterotopic transplantation revealed antigen-specific CTL reactivity at all time points tested (P less than 0.01). By contrast, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to corneal alloantigens (footpad swelling assay) were negative (P greater than 0.05) in 83% of the animals tested. The absence of DTH responsiveness to corneal allografts was not a result of the small graft size or antigenic load. Either two or six circular skin allografts (3-mm diam) of BALB/c origin induced both strong CTL and DTH responses (P less than 0.001) in C57BL/6 recipients, while two or six corneal allografts (2-mm diam) induced strong CTL responses, but DTH responses again failed to develop (P less than 0.05) in over 75% of the animals tested. The ability of corneal alloantigens to elicit CTL responses but not DTH reactivity when grafted to a heterotopic site provides a basis for understanding the immune privilege enjoyed by this tissue.
J
J
Peeler
J
J
Niederkorn
A
A
Matoba
D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D003712:Dendrites / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014181:Transplantation Immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000939:Epitopes