title: Regulators of immunological responses in the cornea and the anterior chamber of the eye.
abstract: Although the eye is considered to be immunologically privileged, this privilege is not absolute. This is well demonstrated by, for example, the fate of corneal transplantations. Clinical studies in man and experimental studies in animals have shown that survival of a corneal transplant depends on the local condition of the cornea and the anterior chamber of the eye. The presence of neovascularisation or Langerhans cells in the recipient cornea endangers the graft, while the intracorneal production of immunosuppressive factors may inhibit the development of rejection. The balance between suppressive and stimulatory factors determines whether a local immune response will develop.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Academic Hospital Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jager
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Gregerson
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Streilein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000276:immunology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D016510:Corneal Neovascularization / Q000276:immunology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000276:immunology; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents