Ocular allergic disease
- 1 October 2004
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology
- Vol. 4 (5), 455-459
- https://doi.org/10.1097/00130832-200410000-00020
Abstract
This review will focus on recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of allergic eye diseases. Common findings in acute allergic conjunctivitis (seasonal and perennial) and chronic allergic conjunctivitis (vernal keratoconjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis, and giant papillary conjunctivitis) include evidence of mast cell activation and eosinophil attraction and activation. Cytokine levels found in tears, conjunctival impression cytology and biopsy specimens, and serum have been evaluated as markers of disease, and as targets of therapeutic intervention. Human conjunctival epithelial cells respond to tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta, and interferon-gamma individually and in combination. Intracellular adhesion molecule-1 expression is upregulated by interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Conjunctival epithelial cells release interleukin-8 in response to interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha but not interferon-gamma. Supernatants from activated mast cells cause increased adhesion of eosinophils to conjunctival epithelium. Tear levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha were elevated in vernal keratoconjunctivitis patients compared with normal controls. T cell lines from chronic allergic eye disease patients showed inconsistent production of cytokines in atopic and vernal keratoconjunctivitis and low levels in giant papillary conjunctivitis. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis patients have differing levels of eosinophil cationic protein in their serum if they were serum specific immunoglobulin E positive compared to serum specific immunoglobulin E negative patients. Recent findings continue to expand our basic knowledge of mechanisms and differences between seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis and atopic and vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Understanding the complex interactions and cross talk between cells, cytokines and other mediators is relevant for new therapeutic approaches directed at specific disease entities.Keywords
This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit:
- The promotion of eosinophil degranulation and adhesion to conjunctival epithelial cells by IgE-activated conjunctival mast cellsAnnals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2004
- Allergic chronic inflammation of the ocular surface in vernal keratoconjunctivitisCurrent Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2003
- The immunomodulatory role of human conjunctival epithelial cells.Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2003
- Synergistic Effect of TNF-α and Either IL-4 or IL-13 on VCAM-1 Expression by Cultured Human Corneal FibroblastsCornea, 2003
- Differential and Cooperative Effects of TNFα, IL-1β, and IFNγ on Human Conjunctival Epithelial Cell Receptor Expression and Chemokine ReleaseInvestigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2003
- Atopy and serum eosinophil cationic protein in 110 white children with vernal keratoconjunctivitis: differences between tarsal and limbal formsClinical & Experimental Allergy, 2003
- Neutrophil and eosinophil participation in atopic and vernal keratoconjunctivitis.Current Eye Research, 2003
- Human mast cell subtypes in conjunctiva of patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis, ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and Stevens-Johnson syndromeOcular Immunology and Inflammation, 2003
- Allergic and immunologic disorders of the eye. Part II: Ocular allergyJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2000
- Cytokine production and mRNA expression by conjunctival T‐cell lines in chronic allergic eye diseaseClinical & Experimental Allergy, 1999