December 2002
Volume 43, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   December 2002
VEGFR-3 in Cornea Lymphangiogenesis and APC Trafficking
L Chen; P Hamrah; Q Zhang; MR Dana
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • L Chen
    Schepens Eye Research Institute Department of Ophthalmology Harvard Medical School Boston MA
  • P Hamrah
    Schepens Eye Research Institute Department of Ophthalmology Harvard Medical School Boston MA
  • Q Zhang
    Schepens Eye Research Institute Department of Ophthalmology Harvard Medical School Boston MA
  • MR Dana
    Schepens Eye Research Institute Department of Ophthalmology Harvard Medical School Boston MA
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   L. Chen, None; P. Hamrah, None; Q. Zhang , None; M.R. Dana , None. Grant Identification: Support:NIH/NEI Grant EY12963
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science December 2002, Vol.43, 2268. doi:
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      L Chen, P Hamrah, Q Zhang, MR Dana; VEGFR-3 in Cornea Lymphangiogenesis and APC Trafficking . Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2002;43(13):2268.

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Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: Previous data from this lab indicate that lymphatic flow from the cornea to draining lymph nodes (LN) plays an important role in corneal immunity. Specifically, corneal transplantation to BALB/c hosts that had their cervical LN excised before surgery showed indefinitely and universal graft acceptance (Yamagami S. & Dana M.R., 2001). VEGFR-3 (Flt-4) is a receptor tyrosine kinase which is mainly expressed on the lymphatic endothelium in adult tissues. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the expressional changes of VEGFR-3 during corneal neovascularization (NV) and its possible roles in cornea lymphangiogenesis and APC trafficking. Methods: Corneal NV was induced by intrastromal 11-0 nylon sutures in Balb/c mice. Eyes were procured 1, 3, 7, 14 days after the manipulation. Lymphatic vessels and VEGFR-3 positive cells were identified by confocal microscopy with immunofluorescence staining. Results: Cornea lymphatic vessels were detected with VEGFR-3 and CD31 double staining in corneal whole mounts starting at day 3 during induction of corneal NV. Cross sectional studies additionally revealed that the ocular surface epithelium of normal eyes express high levels of VEGFR-3. A sharp increase in VEGFR-3 staining in the corneal stroma was observed during the first week after induction of NV and a transient increase of VEGFR-3 expression on the epithelial layers of the limbus and conjunctival region around day 3 was also found. Additionally, corneal inflammation was associated with enhanced expression of VEGFR-3 by CD11c+ corneal dendritic cells. Conclusion: The expression of VEGFR-3 in the cornea and ocular surface is modified during corneal NV, both at the level of lymphatic vessels, and epithelial and stromal cells. These changes may affect trafficking of antigens and/or antigen-presenting cells from the eye to lymphoid organs and provide one explanation for why eyes with NV are considered 'high-risk' candidates for allograft survival. Additional studies including the use of recombinant VEGFR-3 chimeric protein in allograft cornea transplantation were undertaken to further define the possible functional roles of this receptor in lymphatic drainage and graft survival. Support: NIH/NEI Grant EY12963

Keywords: 320 antigen presentation/processing • 607 transplantation • 370 cornea: basic science 
© 2002, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc., all rights reserved. Permission to republish any abstract or part of an abstract in any form must be obtained in writing from the ARVO Office prior to publication.
Copyright © 2024 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
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