Abstract
Purpose: :
Corneal keratitis is caused by the infection of bacteria, viruses and fungi. Corneal stromal cells as resident cells are capable of participating in the immune response to them and produce various cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. Lipopolysaccharide [LPS] is the major component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] is an analog of viral double-stranded RNA produced during viral replication. Zymosan is prepared from yeast cell wall and consists of protein-carbohydrate complexes. We have now investigated the effects of LPS, poly(I:C) and zymosan on the expression of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in cultured human corneal fibroblasts.
Methods: :
Human corneal fibroblasts were cultured with LPS, poly(I:C) and zymosan for 24 hours. The secretion of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors was measured with assay kits.
Results: :
LPS up-regulated the release of IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, eotaxin, IP-10, RANTES, MCP-1 and VEGF. Poly(I:C) induced the release of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, IFN-γ, MIP-1β, MCP-1, eotaxin, IP-10, RANTES. Zymosan up-regulated the release of IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1.
Conclusions: :
LPS, poly(I:C) and zymosan induced the release of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in human corneal fibroblasts. The release of IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 were commonly up-regulated by LPS, poly(I:C) and zymosan, which may play an important role in local inflammation response to infections in the corneal stroma.
Keywords: cornea: stroma and keratocytes • inflammation