title: T-cell cytokines in chronic allergic eye disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pathophysiology of chronic allergic eye disease cannot be explained by type I hypersensitivity alone, and T cell-mediated inflammation has been strongly implicated as a possible additional mechanism. Previous studies suggested that T(H2)-like T cells play an important role in one form of chronic allergic eye disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the cytokine profile of T cells in different clinical groups of subjects with chronic allergic eye disease (i.e., vernal keratoconjunctivitis [VKC], atopic keratoconjunctivitis [AKC], and giant papillary conjunctivitis [GPC]) and normal control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  In situ hybridization was used to identify cytokine messenger RNA (mRNA), and two-color immunohistochemical analysis was used to demonstrate cytokine immunoreactivity localizing to T cells in the conjunctiva.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Allergic tissue expressed increased levels of mRNA for IL-3, IL-4, and IL-5 when compared with normal tissue. There was significantly greater IL-2 mRNA expression in subjects with AKC than in those with VKC (p = 0.004) and those with GPC (p = 0.02). Immunoreactivity for T-cell IL-5 was present more frequently in subjects with VKC (p = 0.004), GPC (p = 0.02), and AKC (p = 0.04) than in normal control subjects. However, T-cell IFN-gamma protein expression was greater in subjects with AKC than in subjects with VKC (p = 0.01), GPC (p = 0.01), and control subjects (p = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show a T(H2)-like T-cell cytokine array in subjects with VKC and GPC but a shift in cytokine profile toward a T(H1)-like pattern, potentially because of differences in chronicity of the disorders, in subjects with AKC. These important functional T-cell variations in chronic allergic eye conditions are likely to be important in understanding differences in clinical characteristics and therapeutic responses.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hingorani
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Calder
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lightman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines