The roles of different immunopathologic mechanisms in diseases of the eye are incompletely understood. Distinct local and/or systemic cellular and humoral mechanisms may have significantly different roles, either alone or in concert with other mechanisms, in causing ocular inflammation and damage to vital ocular structures and in controlling infectious agents in the eye. An understanding of the separate and collective roles of the different immunopathologic mechanisms in ocular inflammatory disease would be of great value towards the ultimate goal of separating protective from damaging effects of immune responses in the eye. Such responses are the cause of a substantial proportion of blindness world-wide. The present studies will concentrate on the interactions of immunopathologic mechanisms mediated by homocytotropic (e.g., IgE) antibodies, eosinophils and mast cells in four models of ocular allergy: 1) Experimental vernal conjunctivitis produced in guinea pigs by topical application of fluoresceinylovalbumin or ascarid antigens; 2) Experimental ocular onchocerciasis produced in guinea pigs by the injection of Onchocerca microfilariae; 3) Spontaneous hypersensitivity to environmental antigens in the atopic dog; 4) Retinal pigment epitheliopathy and retinal degeneration associated with an eosinophil choroiditis in ascarid-infected eyes. The effects of immunological manipulations (e.g. variations in route, timing and dosage of antigens, concomitant sensitization with other antigens, selective anti-inflammatory drugs) on the development of lesions in the vernal conjunctivitis model will be defined in detail. Local antibody production will be studied in cultures of conjunctival lymphoid cells. The roles of specific mediators (e.g. eosinophil chemotactic factors, eosinophil and mast cell constituents) in the vernal model, and in the retinal pigment epitheliopathy of ascarid-infected eyes, will be studied in vivo by application of injection of mediators to or into the eye, and in vitro by employing cultures of conjunctival, corneal, and retinal pigmented epithelial cells. The ability of anti-inflammatory drugs and immunological manipulations to affect the acute corneal inflammation caused by diethylcarbazamine citrate treatment of experimental ocular onchocerciasis in guinea pigs will be defined in detail.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01EY003984-04
Application #
3258456
Study Section
Visual Sciences A Study Section (VISA)
Project Start
1982-03-01
Project End
1990-02-28
Budget Start
1985-03-01
Budget End
1986-02-28
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Presbyterian Medical Center of Phila
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Khatami, Mahin (2005) Developmental phases of inflammation-induced massive lymphoid hyperplasia and extensive changes in epithelium in an experimental model of allergy: implications for a direct link between inflammation and carcinogenesis. Am J Ther 12:117-26
Semba, R D; Donnelly, J J; Young, E et al. (1991) Experimental ocular onchocerciasis in cynomolgus monkeys. IV. Chorioretinitis elicited by Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 32:1499-507
Helleboid, L; Khatami, M; Wei, Z G et al. (1991) Histamine and prostacyclin. Primary and secondary release in allergic conjunctivitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 32:2281-9
Khatami, M (1990) Kinetics of myo-inositol transport in corneal endothelial cells: diverse effects of sugars and implications in corneal deutergensence [corrected] Membr Biochem 9:91-106
Donnelly, J J; Orlin, S E; Wei, Z G et al. (1990) Class II alloantigen induced on corneal endothelium. Role in corneal allograft rejection. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 31:1315-20
Haldar, J P; Khatami, M; Lok, J B et al. (1990) Experimental ocular onchocerciasis: local and systemic antibody and cell-mediated immune responses. Trop Med Parasitol 41:234-40
Lok, J B; Morris, R A; Sani, B P et al. (1990) Synthetic and naturally occurring retinoids inhibit third- to fourth-stage larval development by Onchocerca lienalis in vitro. Trop Med Parasitol 41:169-73
Chan, L S; Khatami, M; Li, W Y et al. (1989) Activation of Mg-ATPase of skeletal-muscle myosin by bovine retinal pigment epithelial actin. Ophthalmic Res 21:420-7
Khatami, M; Donnelly, J J; Haldar, J P et al. (1989) Massive follicular lymphoid hyperplasia in experimental allergic conjunctivitis. Local antibody production. Arch Ophthalmol 107:433-8
Pollack, R J; Lok, J B; Donnelly, J J (1988) Analysis of glutathione-enhanced differentiation by microfilariae of Onchocerca lienalis (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) in vitro. J Parasitol 74:353-9

Showing the most recent 10 out of 40 publications