OBJECTIVETo gain insight into the role of dendritic cells in graft rejection following penetrating keratoplasty by investigating their distribution in rat cornea.

METHODSOrthotopical corneal transplantation was performed and immunohistochemical staining of the whole-mount cornea and the spleen tissue specimen employed to determine the distribution of the dendritic cells in the cornea.

RESULTSGraft rejection occurred in all rats following the transplantation. No OX-62(+) dendritic cells were found in normal cornea but they were present in the epithelium of the cornea graft with allograft rejection.

CONCLUSIONOX-62(+) dendritic cells presenting in the rejected cornea may be related to acute graft rejection after penetrating keratoplasty.

Animals ; Cornea ; immunology ; pathology ; surgery ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; physiology ; Female ; Graft Rejection ; etiology ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; adverse effects ; methods ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats, Wistar