INFILTRATION OF CD4(-CELLS INTO CORNEA DURING DEVELOPMENT OF ONCHOCERCA VOLVULUS-INDUCED EXPERIMENTAL SCLEROSING KERATITIS IN MICE() T)

Sclerosing keratitis is the major cause of blindness due to onchocerci asis caused by the parasite Onchocerca volvulus. Although the importan ce of T cells in the pathogenesis of onchocerciasis has been suggested , their precise role in onchocercal sclerosing keratitis has not yet b een defined. Using immunohistological techniques and a murine model of onchocercal sclerosing keratitis, we have performed a temporal analys is of the inflammatory T cells infiltrating into the cornea at Days 4, 7, and 21 following intrastromal challenge with soluble O. volvulus a ntigens into presensitized mice. The maximum number of CD3(+) T cells were observed in the corneal stroma at Day 21 when sclerosing keratiti s was most severe. The majority (>85%) of the CD3(+) T cells were CD4( +) at all time points. A few infiltrating cells bore IL-2 receptors in dicating possible activation of a small fraction of the T cells. These results suggest that CD4(+) T cells play an important role in onchoce rcal sclerosing keratitis. (C) 1994 Academic Press. Inc