HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Saitoh–Inagawa, W. Articles by Kiyono, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Saitoh–Inagawa, W. Articles by Kiyono, H.

Unique Characteristics of Lacrimal Glands as a Part of Mucosal Immune Network: High Frequency of IgA-Committed B-1 Cells and NK1.1⁺ ß T Cells

¹ From the Department of Mucosal Immunology, Research Institute of Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; the ² Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan; and the ³ Aoki Eye Clinic, Sapporo, Japan.

PURPOSE. Immunologic characterization of IgA-committed B-1 and B-2 cells, and unique subsets of T cells isolated from the murine lacrimal gland (LG), the primary exocrine tissue for the ocular surface, which is considered to be a part of the mucosal immune system.

METHODS. Single cells were obtained from LGs of C57BL/6 mice by the enzyme dissociation method using collagenase type IV. Samples underwent flow cytometric analysis to characterize the unique subsets of T and B cells. To test the effectiveness of ocular vaccination, mice were immunized ocularly or nasally with cholera toxin (CT; 10 µg/mouse) suspended in phosphate-buffered saline. Antigen-specific immune responses were determined by isotype and CT-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay.

RESULTS. When mononuclear cells (MC) isolated from LG samples were examined by flow cytometry, approximately 28% of cells were characterized as B220⁺ B cells. Because surface IgA⁺ (sIgA⁺) B cells develop from B-1 and B-2 lineages, it was important to examine which subset of B cells gives rise to LG sIgA⁺ B cells. Examination of the MC isolated from LG samples showed that approximately 4% of cells were sIgA⁺ B cells. Furthermore, nearly all these sIgA⁺ B cells (97.5%) belonged to the B-1 lineage, especially the B-1a cell line (B220^low, CD5⁺). Of the isolated CD3⁺ T cells, 75% were ß and 25% were T-cell receptor positive. The proportion of NK1.1⁺ ß T cells was higher (3%) in LG samples than in submandibular gland samples (0.5%). Ocular immunization with CT-induced antigen-specific mucosal (e.g., found in tear-wash and saliva samples) and systemic (e.g., serum) immune responses. The magnitude of antigen-specific antibody responses was comparable to those induced by nasal immunization.

CONCLUSIONS. These results show that LG contains unique subsets of B (e.g., sIgA⁺ B-1 cells) and T (e.g., NK1.1⁺ ß T cells) cells. Furthermore, as a part of the mucosal immune barrier, the LG is an important immunologic tissue for the ocular surface.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Thakur, J. Kyd, M. Xue, M. D. P. Willcox, and A. Cripps Effector Mechanisms of Protection against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis in Immunized Rats Infect. Immun., May 1, 2001; 69(5): 3295 - 3304. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. L. O'Sullivan, C. A. Skandera, and P. C. Montgomery Lymphocyte Lineages at Mucosal Effector Sites: Rat Salivary Glands J. Immunol., May 1, 2001; 166(9): 5522 - 5529. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]