The long term objectives of the project are to delineate the processes that contribute to the anterior uveal tract inflammation that follows introduction of protein antigens into the eye. An understanding of the cellular and humoral events that contribute to ocular immunologic diseases of experimental animals may help lead to the development of measures to control human ocular diseases that have an immunological basis. In the first part of the proposed research, methods for identifying T and B lymphocytes in the ocular tissues of rabbits immunized by topical application or intravitreal injection of ovalbumin will be developed. The identification, enumeration, and functional analysis of ocular lymphocytes will require the development of methods of separating T and B cells from the small number of uveal and limbal cells that can be obtained from one animal. Immuno-enzymatic methods, using monoclonal antibodies to T lymphocytes will be used for the identification and enumeration of T cells. """"""""Panning"""""""" methods will be used for separating B and T cells from the uveal and limbal tissues. In other experiments guinea pig ocular T cells will be identified by their ability to form rosettes with rabbit lymphocytes, and by immuno-enzymatic methods using monoclonal anti-T cell antibody. Topical application of ovalbumin leads to the appearance of antibody producing cells in the conjuctival tissue of rabbits. Guinea pigs sensitized by ocular routes develop immediate type hypersensitivity reactions. In both species, the relative contribution of IgG and IgA antibody producing cells to the immune response in the conjuctiva will be determined. Modified ELISA methods will be used to detect antibody production by ocular and lymphoid cell suspensions, and to detect individual antibody producing cells.
| Hall, J M; Pribnow, J F (1989) IgG and IgA antibody in tears of rabbits immunized by topical application of ovalbumin. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:138-44 |
| Hall, J M; Pribnow, J F (1987) Ocular immunization of guinea pigs. Curr Eye Res 6:817-24 |
| Morrow, W J; Ohashi, Y; Hall, J et al. (1985) Dietary fat and immune function. I. Antibody responses, lymphocyte and accessory cell function in (NZB x NZW)F1 mice. J Immunol 135:3857-63 |
