M cells are involved in pathogenesis of human contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis.
BACKGROUND
The objective was to study the pathogenesis of contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis (CL-GPC).


METHODS
Twenty-one biopsies of conjunctival giant papillae were obtained from soft contact lens wearers. The tissues were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and embedded in paraffin. Sections of 5 microm thickness were used for studies of histology and immunohistochemistry of pan-B and pan-T cell distributions.


RESULTS
Conjunctival epitheliums on the top of conjunctiva-associated lymphoid tissue typically lacked goblet cells. Lymphocytes from underlying lymphoid follicle were pressed into intra-epithelial "pockets" formed through epithelial invagination. Under the follicle-associated epithelium, pan-B cells were mostly gathered in the central follicular area and intraepithelial pockets, while CD3-positive T cells were predominantly distributed in parafollicular region, but only a few in the intraepithelial pockets.


CONCLUSIONS
Membranous epithelial cells (M cells) play a key role in the pathogenesis of CL-GPC for the binding and translocation of antigen and pathogen.
Zhong
Xingwu
X
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center and State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China. xingzh88@hotmail.com
Liu
Hongshan
H
Pu
Aijun
A
Xia
Xuefeng
X
Zhou
Xiaodong
X
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology