Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To compare cytokine expression levels between cornea and trigeminal ganglion in herpetic keratitis, and to examine the relation between viral replication and cytokine expression. Methods: . Balb/c mouse (8 weeks old, female) corneas were scarified and infected with HSV-1 (CHR3 strain 1X106 pfu/ml, N=108). At 4, 8 and 12 days post-infection (PI), 10 types of cytokines (IL-1alpha, -1beta, -2, -4, -6, -10, -12, -18, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha) in the cornea and trigeminal ganglion were quantitated by ELISA. The results were superimposed on the clinical scores and virus titers for corneas and trigeminal ganglia. Results: In the cornea, proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6) predominated, reaching maximum at 12 days PI, while in the trigeminal ganglion, Th1 type cytokines (IL-2, IFN-gamma and IL-12) were preeminent at 4-8 days PI and 12 days PI respectively. Th2 type cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) were below the detection limit of ELISA. Virus titer was maximum at 4 days PI in the cornea and at 5 days PI in the trigeminal ganglion. Stromal opacities appeared at 2 days PI and persisted. Conclusion: In the herpetic cornea, inflammatory cytokines were predominent and were responsible for cell infiltrations and corneal opacities. By contrast, Th1 type cytokines played dominant roles in the trigeminal ganglion, and were considered responsible for the maintenance of virus latency. Supported by research grant 11771066 from the Japanese Ministry of Education. None.
Keywords: 370 cornea: basic science • 380 cytokines/chemokines • 425 herpes simplex virus