Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 5, 2025

Murine Corneal Transplantation: A Model to Study the Most Common Form of Solid Organ Transplantation
09:03

Murine Corneal Transplantation: A Model to Study the Most Common Form of Solid Organ Transplantation

Published on: November 17, 2014

9.9K

Corneal Immune Cells Are Increased in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Adnan Khan1, Yi Li2, Georgios Ponirakis1

  • 1Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Research Division, Doha, Qatar.

Translational Vision Science & Technology
|May 18, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Corneal confocal microscopy revealed increased immature immune cells in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This technique may serve as a biomarker for MS neuroimmune changes.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Neurology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated neurodegenerative disease.
  • Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) detects immune cells in the cornea.
  • Previous studies linked increased corneal immune cells (IC) to peripheral neuropathies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare corneal immune cell density and nerve distance in MS subtypes versus controls.
  • To investigate CCM's potential as a biomarker for MS.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS), and controls.
  • Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) was used to quantify total, mature, and immature corneal IC density and nearest nerve distance.
  • Data analysis compared these metrics between patient groups and controls.

Main Results:

  • Total IC density was higher in MS, RRMS, and SPMS patients compared to controls.
  • Immature IC density was elevated in MS and RRMS patients.
  • Immature IC near-nerve distance was significantly greater in all MS subtypes compared to controls.
  • Immature IC density correlated with cognitive function (Symbol Digit Modalities Test).
  • Near-nerve distance correlated with disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale).

Conclusions:

  • In vivo CCM shows increased immature IC density and near-nerve distance in MS patients.
  • These findings suggest CCM may be a useful tool for assessing neuroimmune alterations in MS.
  • Further research is warranted to validate CCM as an imaging biomarker for MS disease status.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Mice and Evaluation of the Disease-dependent Distribution of Immune Cells in Various Tissues08:47

Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Mice and Evaluation of the Disease-dependent Distribution of Immune Cells in Various Tissues

Published on: May 8, 2016

24.2K
Digestion of Whole Mouse Eyes for Multi-Parameter Flow Cytometric Analysis of Mononuclear Phagocytes09:58

Digestion of Whole Mouse Eyes for Multi-Parameter Flow Cytometric Analysis of Mononuclear Phagocytes

Published on: June 17, 2020

5.3K

Related Concept Videos

T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
1.7K
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response01:23

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response

The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...
7.3K
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
78.8K
Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells01:15

Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells

Common myeloid progenitors (CMPs) are oligopotent cells that can differentiate into granulocytes and macrophages. Granulocytes and macrophages are essential for protecting the body against bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. They migrate from the bone marrow into the circulating blood to reach specific tissue sites where they differentiate and help in immune surveillance. However, they survive only for a few days and must be continuously made available to the organism to maintain a robust...
3.6K