Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Vol 34, 3579-3584, Copyright © 1993 by Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

ARTICLES AND REPORTS

Differential expression of the complement regulatory proteins in the human eye

NS Bora, CL Gobleman, JP Atkinson, JS Pepose and HJ Kaplan
Department of Ophthalmology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.

PURPOSE. The presence of complement activation products in the human eye during infection or inflammation has been well described. During complement activation the host must be protected from attack against self tissue; this is achieved by three membrane-bound complement regulatory proteins: membrane cofactor protein (MCP, CD46), decay accelerating factor (DAF, CD55), and membrane attack complex inhibiting protein (CD59). This study was undertaken to analyze the expression of these proteins in the normal human eye. METHODS. Tissues were sectioned by cryostat and both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to MCP, DAF, and CD59 were used. Control stains were performed with nonrelevant antibodies of the same immunoglobulin subclass and normal rabbit serum as well as by omission of the primary and secondary antibodies. RESULTS. All three proteins were found to be differentially expressed in the human eye. With anti-MCP, strong staining of the corneal epithelium and weak staining of the corneal keratocytes in stroma and photoreceptor cells was observed. Staining with anti-DAF was very strong in the corneal epithelium and the ciliary body and moderate in the corneal stroma (keratocytes) and iris. In contrast, anti-CD59 stained very strongly in the corneal epithelium, corneal stroma (keratocytes), iris, choroid, and all layers of the retina, and moderately in the ciliary body. CONCLUSIONS. Identification of MCP, DAF, and CD59 in the human eye provides evidence that a regulatory system exists to protect these cells from destruction by complement- activating events. It remains to be determined if other more specialized functions exist for these proteins, especially in the case of CD59 because of its extensive expression in the retina.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Stein-Streilein and A. W. Taylor An eye's view of T regulatory cells J. Leukoc. Biol., March 1, 2007; 81(3): 593 - 598. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. S. Bora, S. Kaliappan, P. Jha, Q. Xu, B. Sivasankar, C. L. Harris, B. P. Morgan, and P. S. Bora CD59, a Complement Regulatory Protein, Controls Choroidal Neovascularization in a Mouse Model of Wet-Type Age-Related Macular Degeneration J. Immunol., February 1, 2007; 178(3): 1783 - 1790. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Hori, M. Wang, M. Miyashita, K. Tanemoto, H. Takahashi, T. Takemori, K. Okumura, H. Yagita, and M. Azuma B7-H1-Induced Apoptosis as a Mechanism of Immune Privilege of Corneal Allografts J. Immunol., November 1, 2006; 177(9): 5928 - 5935. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Sugita, T. F. Ng, P. J. Lucas, R. E. Gress, and J. W. Streilein B7+ Iris Pigment Epithelium Induce CD8+ T Regulatory Cells; Both Suppress CTLA-4+ T Cells J. Immunol., January 1, 2006; 176(1): 118 - 127. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. J. D'Cruz and F. M. Uckun Stampidine: a selective oculo-genital microbicide J. Antimicrob. Chemother., July 1, 2005; 56(1): 10 - 19. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Y. Niederkorn, E. Mayhew, J. Mellon, and S. Hegde Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Expression in Anterior Chamber-Associated Immune Deviation (ACAID) and Corneal Allograft Survival Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., August 1, 2004; 45(8): 2674 - 2681. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. N. Mallam, M. Y. Hurwitz, T. Mahoney, P. Chevez-Barrios, and R. L. Hurwitz Efficient Gene Transfer into Retinal Cells Using Adenoviral Vectors: Dependence on Receptor Expression Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., June 1, 2004; 45(6): 1680 - 1687. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Wu, S. A. Trauger, L. Pache, T.-M. Mullen, D. J. Von Seggern, G. Siuzdak, and G. R. Nemerow Membrane Cofactor Protein Is a Receptor for Adenoviruses Associated with Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis J. Virol., April 15, 2004; 78(8): 3897 - 3905. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Y. Niederkorn The immune privilege of corneal grafts J. Leukoc. Biol., August 1, 2003; 74(2): 167 - 171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. Streilein Ocular immune privilege: the eye takes a dim but practical view of immunity and inflammation J. Leukoc. Biol., August 1, 2003; 74(2): 179 - 185. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Higuchi and J. W. Streilein CD8+ T Cell-Mediated Delayed Rejection of Orthotopic Guinea Pig Cornea Grafts in Mice Deficient in CD4+ T Cells Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., January 1, 2003; 44(1): 175 - 182. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Hegde, J. K. Mellon, S. L. Hargrave, and J. Y. Niederkorn Effect of Alloantibodies on Corneal Allograft Survival Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., April 1, 2002; 43(4): 1012 - 1018. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-H. Sohn, H. J. Kaplan, H.-J. Suk, P. S. Bora, and N. S. Bora Complement Regulatory Activity of Normal Human Intraocular Fluid Is Mediated by MCP, DAF, and CD59 Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., December 1, 2000; 41(13): 4195 - 4202. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J.-H. Sohn, H. J. Kaplan, H.-J. Suk, P. S. Bora, and N. S. Bora Chronic Low Level Complement Activation within the Eye Is Controlled by Intraocular Complement Regulatory Proteins Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., October 1, 2000; 41(11): 3492 - 3502. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				K. Tanaka, J. Yamada, and J. W. Streilein Xenoreactive CD4+ T Cells and Acute Rejection of Orthotopic Guinea Pig Corneas in Mice Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., June 1, 2000; 41(7): 1827 - 1832. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. Gangappa, J. S. Babu, J. Thomas, M. Daheshia, and B. T. Rouse Virus-Induced Immunoinflammatory Lesions in the Absence of Viral Antigen Recognition J. Immunol., October 15, 1998; 161(8): 4289 - 4300. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. Streilein ENHANCED PERSPECTIVE: Unraveling Immune Privilege Science, November 17, 1995; 270(5239): 1158 - 1158. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]