EXPERIMENTAL ONCHOCERCAL KERATITIS

In individuals with onchocerciasis, severe visual impairment (river bl indness) occurs as a result of corneal inflammation induced by antigen s released from dead and dying Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae. To c haracterize the underlying immune response, animal models have been de veloped that partially reproduce many of the clinical features of huma n onchocercal keratitis. Eric Pearlman here discusses how these studie s have identified systemic and local immune responses associated with keratitis, including T helper-cell subset and cytokine responses.