Abstract
Purpose :
To analyze the expression of Interleukin (IL)-17 in the induction and abatement phases of dry eye disease (DED), and to explore the potential role of IL-10-producing Th17 cells in disease pathogenesis using a mouse model of DED.
Methods :
DED was induced in female C57BL/6 mice. Mice exposed to desiccating stress in a controlled environment chamber for 14 consecutive days were used as the acute DED group, and mice that were transferred to a standard environment and maintained for an additional 14 days after DED induction were used as the chronic DED group. Untreated mice were used as normal controls. Corneal fluorescein staining (CFS) was performed to assess severity of DED.The expression levels of IL-17 in conjunctiva and cervical draining lymph nodes (DLNs) were measured using real-time PCR and ELISA. The frequencies of CD4+ IL-17+ (Th17) cells and IL-10-producingTh17 cells in conjunctiva and DLNs were evaluated with flow cytometry.
Results :
The CFS scores, mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-17, and the frequencies of Th17 cells in both conjunctiva and DLNs were significantly higher in acute DED group compared to relived DED group and non-DED controls (p<0.05). Interestingly, the frequencies of IL-10-producing Th17 cells (CD4+IL-17+IL-10+) were significantly lower in the conjunctivae and DLNs of acute DED group compared to non-DED controls (p<0.05). Furthermore, mice with chronic DEDshowed significantly higher frequencies of IL-10-producing Th17 cells in the conjunctivae compared to mice with acute DED (p<0.01).
Conclusions :
Our findings demonstrate that IL-10-producing Th17 cells may play a regulatory role in DED.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.