Cauterization of central cornea induces recruitment of major histocompatibility complex class II+ Langerhans cells from limbal basal epithelium.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution and characterization of Langerhans cells (LCs) in the rat corneal epithelium and to compare the findings with those obtained earlier in the mouse corneal epithelium.


METHODS
Normal and cauterized corneal tissues were excised from Wistar rats, and immunofluorescence staining for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, CD3, CD11c, CD11b, CD45, CD80(B-1), and CD86(B-2) was performed by confocal microscopy. The density of intraepithelial MHC class II+ LCs was quantified.


RESULTS
In the normal corneal epithelium, CD11c+ cells were exclusively distributed in the limbal and peripheral areas. Double staining showed that these cells were CD45 and MHC class II positive and B7 (CD80 or CD86) costimulatory molecules, CD11b, and CD3 negative, exhibiting a dendritic cell phenotype. In cauterized cornea, the expression of MHC class II was significantly enhanced in the limbal basal epithelium. The expression of the activation markers, CD80 and CD86, by MHC class II+ LCs was first present in the limbal basal epithelium as early as 4 hours after corneal inflammation and later throughout the entire corneal epithelium.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates for the first time the distribution and characterization of LCs in the rat corneal epithelium, which largely resembles most of those observed in the mouse cornea. In the cauterized cornea, B7+ LCs were first present in the limbal basal epithelium, suggesting that these cells play an important role in corneal inflammatory reaction.
Chen
Wensheng
W
Eye Institute, Xiamen University School of Medicine, Fujian, China.
Lin
Hui
H
Dong
Nuo
N
Sanae
Takaseki
T
Liu
Zuguo
Z
Yoshitomi
Takeshi
T
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D002425:Cautery; D002452:Cell Count; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000378:metabolism*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000166:cytology*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II