Immunosuppression and selective inflammatory cell depletion. Studies on a guinea pig model of corneal ulceration after ocular alkali burning
C. S. Foster, R. P. Zelt, T. Mai-Phan and K. R. Kenyon
Total ocular-surface alkali burning was performed on guinea pigs to study
the effects of generalized immunosuppression and selective inflammatory
cell line modifications on corneal ulceration. Central stromal corneal
ulceration developed in 86% (18/21) of control eyes three to seven days
after alkali burning, whereas ulcers developed in only 16% (3/19) of the
eyes of guinea pigs immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide. Neutrophils,
the preponderant inflammatory cells in ulcerating corneas, were
conspicuously absent from the nonulcerating corneas. Selective neutrophil
suppression by intravenous administration of a highly specific anti-guinea
pig neutrophil serum also suppressed the development of corneal ulcerations
in this model; in only 25% of the eyes so treated did ulcers develop after
alkali burning. T lymphocyte or monocyte modifications with similar
monospecific antisera had no effects on the rate of corneal ulceration.
Neutrophil depletion after the onset of ulceration halted progression of
the corneal ulcer.
