title: Adoptive transfer of immune cells from glaucomatous mice provokes retinal ganglion cell loss in recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have indicated that autoimmune and neuroinflammatory processes contribute to the neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells in human glaucoma patients and in animal models. To test the involvement of cellular immune processes in the pathophysiology of retinal ganglion cell degeneration in vivo, we carried out adoptive transfer experiments from two independent genetic mouse models of glaucoma into normal recipient mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our findings indicate that transfer results in a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells and their axons despite normal intraocular pressure in recipient mice. Signs of pan-retinal inflammation were not detected. Similar findings were obtained following transfer of isolated T-lymphocytes, but not after transfer of splenocytes from immune deficient glaucomatous mice. Transferred lymphocytes were detected integrated in the spleen and in the retinal ganglion cell layer of recipient animals, albeit at very low frequencies. Furthermore, we observed cell-cell interaction between transferred T-cells and recipient microglia along with focal microglial activation in recipient eyes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that the pathophysiology of glaucomatous degeneration in the tested animal models includes T-cell mediated events that are capable of causing loss of healthy retinal ganglion cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242, IA, USA.|Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, 3135C MERF, 375 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Oliver W
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Gramlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Qiong J
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242, IA, USA.|Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, 3135C MERF, 375 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.|Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242, IA, USA. Markus-kuehn@uiowa.edu.|Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, 3135C MERF, 375 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA. Markus-kuehn@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Markus H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kuehn
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000235:genetics; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D000099179:Myocilin
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins; D000099179:Myocilin; C491049:Aif1 protein, mouse; C533499:Fad49 protein, mouse