Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Are Heterogeneous in Their Expression of MHC-II After Stimulation with Interferon-γ

• Published in: Experimental eye research Vol. 68; no. 4; pp. 423 - 430
• Main Authors: CASELLA, ANTONIO MARCELO BARBANTE, TABA, KATIA EMIKO, KIMURA, HIDEYA, SPEE, CHRISTINE, CARDILLO, JOSE AUGUSTO, RYAN, STEPHEN J., HINTON, DAVID R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01-04-1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; aging; Aging - immunology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Eye and associated structures. Visual pathways and centers. Vision; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heterogeneity; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II - metabolism; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Interferon-gamma - pharmacology; Male; MHC Class II; Microscopy, Immunoelectron; Pigment Epithelium of Eye - embryology; Pigment Epithelium of Eye - immunology; PVR; Rabbits; RPE; Stimulation, Chemical; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; aging; PVR; RPE; MHC Class II; heterogeneity; Human; Senescence; Class II histocompatibility antigen; Pigment epithelium; Rabbit; Retina; Lagomorpha; Gene expression; Proliferative vitreoretinopathy; Eye; Visual system; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Age; Gamma interferon
• ISSN: 0014-4835; 1096-0007
• DOI: 10.1006/exer.1998.0621

The pattern of interferon-gamma-induced major histocompatibility complex Class II antigen expression was evaluated on the retinal pigment epithelium. Experiments were performed in vitro using explant cultures of aged and fetal human eyes and in vivo in albino rabbits. The human explants were stimulated with 50 U ml−1interferon-gamma for 3 days prior to immunostaining for Class II. The rabbit eyes were subretinally injected in vivo with 50 μl of interferon-gamma (500 U ml−1) and analyzed immunohistochemically 3 days later. A heterogeneous pattern of Class II expression was present in the interferon-gamma-stimulated retinal pigment epithelial cells, in both the in vivo and the in vitro experiments. In aged human eyes the percent of Class-II positive cells was higher in the periphery than in the posterior pole (macular region) after interferon-gamma stimulation (P<0.01). No such difference was found in the fetal eyes. These data demonstrate that retinal pigment epithelial cells are heterogeneous in their response to interferon-gamma. The results are supportive of previous studies demonstrating the structural and proliferative heterogeneity of the retinal pigment epithelium. Together, these studies provide support for the possibility of functional retinal pigment epithelial heterogeneity.