INDUCTION OF AUTOANTIBODIES TO RAT CORNEAL PROTEIN 54

Many studies have described the presence of circulating antibodies aga inst corneal components in patients with corneal disease or uveitis, a nd in patients with skin or systemic disease with or without ocular in volvement. The role of such antibodies in the underlying immunopatholo gical process remains obscure. Here we describe the induction of autoa ntibodies against the rat cornea. Our attempts to induce corneal autoa ntibodies by various forms of keratitis and corneal trauma failed. How ever, circulating corneal autoantibodies could be detected by Western blotting after immunization of BN rats and Lewis rats with bovine corn eal protein 54 (BCP 54). Rats immunized with rat corneal extracts (RaC E) or human serum albumin (HSA) as (auto) antigen did not develop corn eal autoantibodies. During the study period (> 4 months), it was obser ved that the presence of circulating corneal autoantibodies did not el icit corneal inflammation. Severe keratitis did develop when BCP 54-im munized rats were challenged intracorneally with BCP 54, but the clini cal signs were not significantly different from HSA-immunized rats aft er an intracorneal HSA challenge. Injection of corneal autoantibodies into the corneal stroma did not provoke keratitis. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study demonstrating corneal autoantibodies in rats without actual manipulation of the eye. This model may provid e further insights in the role and significance of corneal autoantibod ies in disease.