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Updated: May 28, 2026
Assessing Leukocyte-endothelial Interactions Under Flow Conditions in an Ex Vivo Autoperfused Microflow Chamber Assay
Published on: December 30, 2014
Evaluation of leukocyte-endothelial interactions in retinal diseases
Akitaka Tsujikawa1, Yuichiro Ogura
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Purpose:
We reviewed various methodologies for studying leukocyte-retinal endothelial interactions in vivo, and summarized the information obtained from studies employing these methods.
Procedures:
Fluorescence dye-enhanced scanning laser ophthalmoscopy facilitates study of leukocyte-cell interactions in the retinal microcirculation.
Results:
Various methods such as adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AO-SLO), acridine orange digital angiography, and intravital microscopy provided evidence of the mechanisms of leukocyte recruitment in the retina and of their importance in the pathogenesis of various retinal diseases.
Conclusions:
Leukocyte behavior can be easily examined in the retina in vivo because the optical media is transparent. SLO substantially contributes to visualizing leukocyte-endothelial interactions in retinal vessels, although most of the methods employing SLO could only be used for animal studies. AO-SLO noninvasively demonstrates the movement of each leukocyte in the parafoveal capillaries in humans. Message: AO-SLO could be useful in investigating the leukocyte-retinal endothelial interactions in various diseases in humans.
