Hyperexpression of the high-affinity IgE receptor-beta chain in chronic allergic keratoconjunctivitis

Matsuda, Akira, Okayama, Yoshimichi, Ebihara, Nobuyuki, Yokoi, Norihiko, Hamuro, Junji, Walls, Andrew F., Ra, Chisei, Hopkin, Julian M. and Kinoshita, Shigeru (2009) Hyperexpression of the high-affinity IgE receptor-beta chain in chronic allergic keratoconjunctivitis. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 50 (6), 2871-2877. (doi:10.1167/iovs.08-3022). (PMID:19136704)

Abstract

Purpose. Although the existence of Fc?RI-???2 and Fc?RI-??2 receptor subtypes was reported, there has been no direct evidence of these two subtypes of Fc?RI in vivo. To investigate the existence of these two subtypes of Fc?RI in vivo, the authors evaluated the expression of Fc?RI-? in the giant papillae of chronic allergic conjunctivitis and compared the expression level of Fc?RI-? with control conjunctivae using the anti–human Fc?RI-? antibody.

Methods. Fc?RI-? expression in giant papillae obtained from patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis in control conjunctivae was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using anti–Fc?RI-?, -?, -?, and anti–human mast cell tryptase, anti–chymase, anti–basophil, and anti–CD1a antibodies.

Results. Statistical analyses revealed that the densities of Fc?RI-?+ cells, Fc?RI-?+ cells, tryptase+ cells, and Fc?RI-?+/tryptase+ cells were significantly increased in giant papillae compared with controls. There were two types of Fc?RI (???2 and ??2) on the mast cells of the giant papillae. The ratio of the Fc?RI-?+ cell number/Fc?RI-?+ cell number in the giant papillae (0.69 ± 0.08 [mean ± SD]) was significantly higher than that of the controls (0.07 ± 0.16). Fc?RI-?/tryptase double immunostaining revealed that 81% ± 13% of tryptase+ cells expressed Fc?RI-?. Fc?RI-?+ cells were preferentially localized within and around epithelial tissue. The authors also found that Fc?RI-? was expressed by basophils but not by Fc?RI-??2–positive Langerhans cells in the giant papillae samples.

Conclusions. Preferential Fc?RI-? expression observed in the mast cells and basophils of giant papillae suggests important roles of Fc?RI-? in the pathophysiology of atopic keratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis.

This record has no associated files available for download.

Contributors

Author: Andrew F. Walls

Download statistics