064-1 Le rôle des cellules présentatrices d’antigènes dans la cornée et sa place dans le diagnostic par microscopie confocale

Abstract

Purpose to evaluate the morphology, distribution and density of Langerhans cells (LC) in human cornea Method: In vivo confocal microscopy of the cornea (Rostock Cornea Module in combination with commercial available confocal laser scanning system (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II, Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Germany)) was performed in healthy volunteers (225 eyes of 129 healthy volunteers aged 16–81 yrs), contact lens wearers (99 eyes of 59 contact lens wearers; age: 13–76 yrs.), glaucoma patients with preservative holding therapy (25 eyes of 15 patients aged 41–77 yrs.) as well as in patients with inflammatory diseases or in grafted cornea. Results In healthy volunteers, in vivo confocal microscopy revealed LCs in 31% of all volunteers; 37 out of these 43 volunteers present LCs both in the center and the periphery of the cornea with densities of 34 ± 3 cells/mm 2 and 98 ± 8 cells/mm 2 . In the group of contact lens wearers 55% of all probands presented with LCs and 11 out of these 33 probands revealed LCs at central and peripheral location. LC densities were significantly higher in both the central (78 ± 25 cells/mm 2 ) and the peripheral cornea (210 ± 24 cells/mm 2 ) of contact lens wearers (p 2 in the central cornea and 304 ± 27 cells/mm 2 in the periphery, (p Conclusion Quantitative evidence of LC in cornea could be of clinical relevance in evaluation of wound healing, graft versus host disease, allergic and toxic drug side effects, etc. Modern diagnostic possibilities of in vivo confocal microscopy und immunohistochemistry regarding LC distribution and density enable to compare the in vivo and ex vivo data and open a new horizon for clinical practice as well as experimental studies not only in human but also in veterinary medicine.