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Ocular surface immune cell diversity in dry eye disease
Archana Padmanabhan Nair1, Sharon D'Souza2, Pooja Khamar2
1GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore, Karnataka, India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
|April 7, 2023
Summary
Dry eye disease (DED) involves immune cell changes on the ocular surface. Understanding these immune cell alterations offers new ways to diagnose and treat DED patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Dry eye disease (DED) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the ocular surface.
- Immune cell dysregulation is a key factor in DED pathogenesis and severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and organize current knowledge on ocular surface immune cell diversity in DED.
- To highlight the role of specific immune cell subsets in DED.
- To discuss potential therapeutic strategies targeting immune cells.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of studies on ocular surface immunity in DED.
- Analysis of immune cell populations in human subjects and animal models of DED.
- Correlation of immune cell profiles with DED clinical parameters.
Main Results:
- Identified 10 major immune cell types and 21 subsets altered in DED.
- Observed increased neutrophils, dendritic cells, macrophages, and T cell subsets (CD4+, CD8+, Th17) in DED.
- Noted decreased T regulatory cells and demonstrated disease-causal associations with clinical markers.
Conclusions:
- Ocular surface immune cell diversity is significantly altered in DED.
- Specific immune cell profiles correlate with DED severity and clinical outcomes.
- Targeting immune cell subsets presents a promising therapeutic avenue for DED management and patient stratification.
