Objective To determine whether the vitreous cavity and the subretinal space of different species animals support the induction of immune deviation to soluble antigen and to observe its maintenance time. Methods Bovine serum albumin(BSA)was used as a soluble antigen and inoculated into the anterior chamber(AC),the vitreous cavity(VC)and subretinal space of different animals(rat,rabbit and monkey)respectively.Recipient animals were immunized with BSA and complete Freundrsquo;sadjuvant. Delayed-type hypersensitivity(DTH)was assessed by skin challenge.The maintenance time of deviant immune response was evaluated in the fixed time interval. Results All the animals receiving intraocular antigen inoculation did not display DTH reaction.The maintenance time of immune deviation after inoculation of antigen in different sites is (1)anterior chamber:70 days in rat,90 days in rabbit,320 days in monkey;(2)vitreous cavity:100 days in rat,１50 days in rabbit,360 days in monkey;(3)subretinal space:50 days in rat,70 days in rabbit,300 days in monkey. Conclusions The maintenance time of immune deviation varied with different species of animals and different intraocular compartment.The evolution of organisms is synchronous with that of immune system. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 1999, 15: 170-173)
Objective To examine the influence of retinal pigment epithelium(RPE) cells on antigen-specific activatedlymphocytes in vitro,and to explore the role of RPE cells in the immune privilege of the eye. Methods Co-culture systems of RPE cells with antigen-specific T lymphocyte lines and resting T lymphocytes were established in vitro．Induction of apoptosis was detected by genomic DNA electrophoresis,DNA in situ end-labelling and flow cytometry. Results RPE cells induced apoptosis in antigen-specific activated T lymphocytes. 24 hours after culture,the signs of apoptosis appeared in lymphocytes co-incubated with RPE cells．As time of co-culture went on,the number of apoptosic cells increased．Quantitative analysis of apoptosic cells showed that apoptosic cells accounted for 5.95% after 24 hours, 9.38% after 48 hours,and 17.95% after 72 hours．In contrast,RPE cells induced few apoptosis in resting T lymphocytes. Conclusions These results suggest that RPE cells possess the ability to induce the apoptosis of invading lymphocytes. This phenomenon serves as a restrain mechanism of immune response and may be of vital importance in the maintenance of immune privilege in posterior segment of eye and in the protection of eye from the damage of immunogenic inflammation. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 1999, 15: 241-244)