Roles of T-cells in the development of allergic conjunctival diseases

Massive infiltration of eosinophils is the typical histopathologic feature of severe forms of allergic conjunctival diseases (ACDs) such as vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Although ACD is an antigen (Ag)-specific disease, eosinophils lack Ag-specific receptors. Therefore, my group studied the likely roles of immunocompetent cells bearing Ag-specific receptors in inducing conjunctival eosinophil infiltration in ACDs. To induce experimental conjunctivitis (EC), Brown Norway rats and C57BL/6 and Balb/c mice were passively immunized by the transfer of Ag-specific or primed IgE, splenocytes, or purified T-cells and then challenged with Ag in eyedrops. The transfer of Ag-primed splenocytes or T-cells, but not of Ag-specific IgE, induced conjunctival eosinophil infiltration. We also showed that soon after EC induction by T-cell transfer, activated Ag-specific T-cells infiltrated the conjunctiva. Moreover, when EC-developing animals were topically treated with the T-cell-specific immunosuppressants cyclosporin A and FK506, conjunctival eosinophil infiltration was abrogated. In addition, only the transfer of Ag-specific type 2 helper T-cells (TH2 cells), but not of type 1 helper T-cells or CD8 T-cells, could induce conjunctival eosinophil infiltration. Our data show that Ag-specific TH2 cells play a crucial role in inducing conjunctival eosinophil infiltration during the development of EC. It is necessary to elucidate the roles that conjunctival residential cells and immunocompetent cells other than T-cells play in the conjunctival eosinophil infiltration of EC.