[Corneal Langerhans cells. Behavior during storage in organ culture].
BACKGROUND
Corneal HLA-DR antigens are going to be lost during organ culture storage. This study investigated if this phenomenon is based on down-regulation of the HLA-DR antigen, or on a loss of the HLA-DR-positive corneal Langerhans cells (LCs).


METHODS
Corneal LCs were stained in situ by the method of fluorescence-associated immunohistochemistry, and the organ culture mediums underwent flow cytometric analysis for HLA-DR-positive corneal LC at the end of the storage period.


RESULTS
All stored corneas were negative for HLA-DR after 14 days and HLA-DR antigens could be detected in culture medium at the end of the storage time.


CONCLUSIONS
Flow cytometry showed that organ culture storage leads to loss of HLA-DR-positive cells and not only to a loss of antigen presentation.
Ardjomand
N
N
Universitäts-Augenklinik, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz.
Komericki
P
P
Radner
H
H
Aigner
R
R
Reich
M E
ME
D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015925:Cryopreservation; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009926:Organ Preservation; D013997:Time Factors
D006684:HLA-DR Antigens