The conjunctival epithelium and grass pollen allergen associated interactions in atopic eye disease

Abstract

Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis (SAC) is a type I hypersensitivity reaction that effects approximately 1 in 10 of the population. The hypothesis of this thesis is that the epithelial layer of SAC subjects is altered, thus facilitating the passage of allergen to the immune system and therefore contributing to disease progression. The aims of this thesis were, therefore, to investigate structural aspects of the conjunctival epithelium, develop and expand experimental models of the conjunctival, investigate the effects that Timothy grass pollen allergen has on the polarised epithelial barrier and finally detect the paracellular movement of the allergen.

Evidence is presented of certain structural alterations in the epithelial layer of subjects who suffer from SAC. By examining thin sections of conjunctiva, using immunohistochemistry, immunoreactivity for epithelial adhesion proteins and keratin filaments, were investigated. The epithelium from SAC subjects showed reduced expression of these protein targets and re-distribution of said proteins within the epithelial layer, suggesting that fundamentally the conjunctival epithelium from SAC provided a reduced barrier to endogenous antigens.

Epithelial model systems of the conjunctival epithelium were developed and characterised by their specific morphology, immunoreactivity and barrier function for experimental purposes.

Re-creating the allergen challenge model of SAC facilitated investigations into the  mode of allergen entry into the epithelial layer. The affect that Timothy grass has on the tight junctions, inducers of the polarised barrier function of epithelial tissues, was monitored.

Localisation studies were undertaken in the challenged models, to further investigate the paracellular movement of allergen through the epithelial layer.

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