Abstract
Purpose: :
We have previously demonstrated that ovalbumin (OVA)–challenged GFP positive peritoneal exudates cells (PEC), injected into the anterior chamber of the eye, migrate to the ipsilateral submandibular lymph nodes 24 hours after the injection, while they are maximally present in the spleen at 48 hours post injection. We aimed to determine the role of submandibular lymph nodes in the phenomenon of anterior chamber associated immune deviation (ACAID).
Methods: :
Groups of C57BL/6 mice underwent ipsilateral, contralateral or sham ipsilateral submandibular lymphadonectomy one week prior to receiving either an intracameral injection of OVA–challenged PECs or soluble OVA antigen. All animals, as well as a group of naive animals (positive control), were immunized with OVA and complete Freunds adjuvant (CFA) a week later. All immunized animals together with a group of naive mice (negative control) received ear challenge with OVA a week after immunization. Delayed hypersensitivity was assessed 24 hours later by measuring ear thickness. To investigate whether passage through the ipsilateral submandibular lymph node is necessary for migration of antigen presenting cells to the spleen, OVA challenged GFP+ PECs were injected into the anterior chamber. The spleen of the PEC challenged mice were removed and examined at various time intervals for presence of GFP positive cells.
Results: :
Animals that had received contraleteral or sham submandibular lymphadonectomy demonstrated a significant reduction in delayed hypersensitivity to both OVA challenged PECs and soluble OVA. By contrast, ACAID to both cell associated and soluble antigen was abrogated in animals that were devoid of ipsilateral submandibular lymph node. Ipsilateral lymphadonectomy did not prevent migration of OVA–challenged PECs to the spleen.
Conclusions: :
These studies demonstrate that ipsilateral submandibular lymph node plays an important part in the expression of ACAID. Our results imply that antigen presentation by both the ipsilateral submandibular lymph node and the spleen are necessary for ACAID.
Keywords: ACAID • immune tolerance/privilege • immunomodulation/immunoregulation