Immunogenicity and antigenicity of allogeneic amniotic epithelial transplants grafted to the cornea, conjunctiva, and anterior chamber.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the immunogenic characterization of amniotic epithelium (AE), by examining the fate of allogeneic AE grafts heterotopically transplanted in the eye.


METHODS
Intact AE from enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) transgenic mice (C57BL/6 background) and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were transplanted onto cornea or conjunctiva, or inserted into the anterior chamber (AC) of normal BALB/c mice, C57BL/6 mice, or BALB/c mice presensitized to donor antigens. For repeated AE transplantation experiments, AE was grafted in the other eye 7 days after the first grafting. Graft fate was assessed clinically and histologically at selected intervals after grafting. Infiltrating inflammatory cells were examined immunohistochemically. Sensitization to alloantigens by AE was assessed by the delayed hypersensitivity (DH) response.


RESULTS
In normal recipients, GFP+ cells were absent in EGFP donor-derived AE grafts by day 21 on cornea and by day 7 on conjunctiva. AE grafts implanted in the AC survived for >8 weeks. In presensitized recipients and recipients that underwent repeated AE implantation, graft survival was markedly shorter than in normal recipients. DH was induced at 2 weeks, but failed to be induced at 4 weeks after grafting on cornea or at 8 weeks after grafting on conjunctiva and in the AC of normal recipients.


CONCLUSIONS
Fresh allogeneic AE expressed immunogenicity when placed on the ocular surface, although no memory of allospecific DH was acquired. Allogeneic AE is clearly vulnerable to immune rejection in specifically sensitized recipients.
Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School, Sendagi, Tokyo, Japan.
Mingcong
M
Wang
Atsushi
A
Yoshida
Hidetoshi
H
Kawashima
Masamichi
M
Ishizaki
Hiroshi
H
Takahashi
Junko
J
Hori
D000650:Amnion / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery*; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery*; D003315:Cornea / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D049408:Luminescent Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011247:Pregnancy; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D007519:Isoantigens; D049408:Luminescent Agents; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins