A TH1-SKEWED IMMUNE RESPONSE IN THE OCULAR SURFACE FAVORS CORNEAL NERVE DAMAGE

VEREERTBRUGGHEN A; PIZZANO M; SABBIONE F; KEITELMAN I; SHIROMIZU, CM; VERA AGUILA D; FUENTES F; GIORDANO M; TREVANI A; GALLETTI J

Congreso; Third French-Argentine Immunology Congress ? Reunión Anual Sociedades de Biociencias; 2022

Introduction: Corneal nerve damage occurs by an unknown mechanismin dry eye and other immune-based ocular surface disorderswith a Th1-based pathogenesis but not in ocular allergy. Thereforewe hypothesized that a particular type of immune response couldpromote corneal neuropathy. Methods: OT-II mice [transgenic for anovalbumin (OVA)-specific CD4-restricted TCR] were immunized withOVA+Freund’s adjuvant or alum to induce a Th1 or Th2-skewed immuneresponse and 2 weeks later challenged with OVA eye dropsfor 10 days. Also, CD4+ T cells from Th1 or Th2-skewed OT-II micewere adoptively transferred to RAG1KO mice that were given OVAeye drops for 5 weeks. Results: Th1-skewing in CFA-immunizedmice was confirmed by higher OVA-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity(0.20±0.09 vs 0.05±0.08 mm, p