To examine the widely accepted dogmas that corneal grafts lack passenger leukocytes or cells capable of migrating directly to lymph nodes (LNs), we tracked the migration of corneal graft-derived transgenic green fluorescent protein (GFP; Iab) cells into the draining LNs of allogeneic (Iad) recipients. GFP+ cells were identified in cervical LNs several hours after transplantation, and this traffic was significantly enhanced when grafts were placed in inflamed recipient beds. Draining cells were Iab+, CD45+, and CD11c+, and examination of ungrafted corneas revealed numerous similarly CD45+CD11c+CD3−CD8α− cells that uniformly lacked major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression; transmission electron microscopy confirmed the presence of morphologically similar cells. After transplantation, or placement in culture, these CD11c+ cells became class II+ in a time-dependent manner and were capable of allostimulatory function. However, the stimulatory capacity of these cornea-derived dendritic cells (DCs) was suppressed compared with splenic controls. These results demonstrate for the first time that the cornea is endowed with resident DCs that are universally MHC class II− but that are capable of expressing class II antigen after surgery and migrating to draining LNs of allografted hosts. These data refute the tenet that the cornea is immune privileged due to lack of resident lymphoreticular cells or due to antigenic sequestration from systemic immunity.
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21 January 2002
Article|
January 22 2002
Draining Lymph Nodes of Corneal Transplant Hosts Exhibit Evidence for Donor Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Class II–positive Dendritic Cells Derived from MHC Class II–negative Grafts
Ying Liu,
Ying Liu
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
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Pedram Hamrah,
Pedram Hamrah
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
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Qiang Zhang,
Qiang Zhang
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
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Andrew W. Taylor,
Andrew W. Taylor
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
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M. Reza Dana
M. Reza Dana
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
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Ying Liu
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
Pedram Hamrah
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
Qiang Zhang
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
Andrew W. Taylor
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
M. Reza Dana
The Laboratory of Immunology, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
Address correspondence to Dr. Reza Dana, Schepens Eye Research Institute, 20 Staniford St., Boston, MA 02114. Phone: 617-912-7401; Fax: 617-912-0117; E-mail: [email protected]
Y. Liu and P. Hamrah contributed equally to this work.
*
Abbreviations used in this paper: DC, dendritic cell; GFP, green fluorescent protein; MLR, mixed lymphocyte reaction; TEM, transmission electron microscopy.
Received:
May 18 2001
Revision Received:
November 08 2001
Accepted:
December 07 2001
Online ISSN: 1540-9538
Print ISSN: 0022-1007
The Rockefeller University Press
2002
J Exp Med (2002) 195 (2): 259–268.
Article history
Received:
May 18 2001
Revision Received:
November 08 2001
Accepted:
December 07 2001
Citation
Ying Liu, Pedram Hamrah, Qiang Zhang, Andrew W. Taylor, M. Reza Dana; Draining Lymph Nodes of Corneal Transplant Hosts Exhibit Evidence for Donor Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Class II–positive Dendritic Cells Derived from MHC Class II–negative Grafts . J Exp Med 21 January 2002; 195 (2): 259–268. doi: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20010838
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