title: Immunohistochemical findings in prosthesis-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify functional subsets of inflammatory cells and expression of cytokines in the conjunctiva of patients with ocular prosthesis-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis (P-GPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Specific immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies was performed on biopsy specimens obtained from superior tarsal conjunctiva of 18 patients with P-GPC. The prosthetic eyes were taken as the study group, whereas their fellow eyes were used as matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In normal conjunctiva, mast cells (MCs) were located only in the substantia propria (SP), whereas in P-GPC eyes MCs were also notable in the epithelium in five specimens. Tryptase-chymase-positive MCs (MC(TC)) were predominant both in P-GPC (79%) and in fellow (72%) eyes. MC(TC), CD4(+) lymphocyte, CD8(+) lymphocyte and eosinophil numbers were higher in P-GPC specimens compared with the fellow eyes (P = 0.005, 0.074, 0.012 and 0.025, respectively). Eosinophils were detected in 58.8% of P-GPC specimens and 16.7% of control specimens (P = 0.053). The number of inflammatory cells expressing eotaxin and interleukin (IL)-4 was higher in P-GPC group (P = 0.050 and 0.048, respectively). Nine out of 17 giant papillary conjunctivitis specimens (52.9%) showed eotaxin and IL-4 immunoreactivity, which was considerably higher than the fellow eyes (16.7%) (P = 0.064).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that P-GPC is an allergic disease of the eye associated with increased numbers of MC, eosinophils and lymphocytes in the conjunctiva and a remarkable expression of IL-4 and eotaxin both by the conjunctival epithelium and by the inflammatory cells in the SP.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ihsan Doğramaci Children Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Nalan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akyurek
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irkec
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Erdener
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Memis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D005137:Eye, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines