Immunophenotyping of T cell subsets from paired vitreous and peripheral blood samples of patients with infectious and non-infectious uveitis
Purpose
To compare T cell immunophenotypes in paired vitreous and blood samples from patients with different posterior segment uveitis.
Methods
Vitreous infiltrating cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBCs) were collected from different infectious/ non-infectious uveitis. CD4+ T cell subset frequencies and cytokine responses to different antigenic stimulations were determined by flow cytometry. Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test was used for comparing vitreous and PBMC samples.
Results
Twenty-four paired samples were analyzed. CD3+ and CD4+ frequencies were comparable between blood and vitreous, whereas CD8+ cells were lower (p=0.008) in vitreous samples. Among CD4+ cells, memory T cells (CD45RO+, p=0.0067) and resident memory T cells (CD69+, p=0.001) were more in vitreous, while central (CCR7+) and effector (CCR7-) memory subsets were comparable. Pro-inflammatory cytokine responses (TNF, IFN and IL-2) were higher in vitreous on stimulation with PMA/ionomycin stimulation (p=0.0059, 0.024, 0.002 respectively); and interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP) (p<0.0001, 0.0005, 0.012 respectively), compared to PBMCs. Finally, among tuberculin skin test positive patients (n=18), the TNF, IFN and IL-2 responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis peptide pool stimulation were significantly higher (p=0.0002, 0.0005, 0.043 respectively) in vitreous CD4+ cells, than PBMCs.
Conclusion
T cell subsets in the investigated cohort of patients were significantly different in the vitreous as compared to blood comprising mainly CD4+ memory T-cells, with stronger cytokine responses to both ionophore and retinal autoantigens, as well as microbial antigens.
Conflict of interest
No
Authors 1
Last name
BASU
Initials of first name(s)
S
Department
LV Prasad Eye Institute
City
Hyderabad
Country
India
Authors 2
Last name
Alam
Initials of first name(s)
K
Department
GITAM University
City
Vishakhapatnam
Country
India
Authors 3
Last name
Das
Initials of first name(s)
B
Department
LV Prasad Eye Institute
City
Hyderabad
Country
India
Authors 4
Last name
Raina
Initials of first name(s)
A
Department
LV Prasad Eye Institute
City
Hyderabad
Country
India
Authors 5
Last name
Forrester
Initials of first name(s)
J
Department
University of Aberdeen
City
Aberdeen
Country
United Kingdom
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