Effect of hydroxychloroquine on the inflammation in antigen presenting cells interacted with damaged corneal epithelial cells

Abstract

Purpose: The favorable effect of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) on the dry eye in Sjögren syndrome is still matter of debates. We tried to investigate effect of HCQ on the inflammation in antigen presenting cells interacted with damaged corneal epithelial cells which simulated damaged ocular surface in vitro.

Methods: The study protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at Seoul National University Hospital. Human primary B cells which was provided from the healthy volunteers (n=6) was interacted with damaged human corneal epithelial cells (DHE) which were derived from primary cultivated human corneal epithelial cells and were treated with 20% ethanol for 40 seconds with or without 5 μM of HCQ for 24 hours. B cells were used as negative control, and B cells treated with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) 3 μM as a TLR9 stimulator with or without 5 μM of HCQ were used as positive control. IFN- α, IL-6, TNF- α and IL-10 expressions were measured by RT-PCR and ELISA.

Results: Increased IL-6 and TNF- α were shown in B cells interacted with damaged corneal epithelial cells and it was significantly decreased by the application of HCQ in ELISA (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, p<.05) It was similar as elevation of IL-6 and TNF- α in B cells treated with CpG (positive control) was significantly getting down by application of HCQ. Other cytokines did not show significant changes with or without HCQ treatment.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that hydroxychloroquine may have an effect on decreasing inflammatory cytokines in TLR9-enriched B cells which is stimulated by damaged corneal epithelial cells.

Keywords: 482 cornea: epithelium • 555 immunomodulation/immunoregulation