Elsevier

Experimental Eye Research

Volume 69, Issue 4, October 1999, Pages 397-403
Experimental Eye Research

Regular article
Human Conjunctiva Contains High Endothelial Venules That Express Lymphocyte Homing Receptors

https://doi.org/10.1006/exer.1999.0712Get rights and content

Abstract

Lymphocyte trafficking into tissues has been shown to occur across vessels with specialized endothelial cells called high endothelial venules. High endothelial venules naturally occur in lymph nodes and mucosal lymphoid tissues. The presence of high endothelial venules in the conjunctiva has not been demonstrated previously and the purpose of this study was to determine whether there is such a specialized vasculature to facilitate lymphocyte trafficking in conjunctiva associated lymphoid tissue.

Samples of conjunctiva from four different individuals were analysed morphometrically for the presence of high endothelial venules by light and electron microscopy, and by immunohistochemistry using antibodies specific for high endothelial venules and for two adhesion molecules namely, Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 and Mucosal Addressin Cell Adhesion Molecule-1, expressed on high endothelial venules found in other tissues.

Blood vessels with anatomical features of high endothelial venules were demonstrated in relation to conjunctival follicles and in the lamina propria. Immunohistochemical studies showed positive staining of vessels with anti-high endothelial venule antibodies, and with antibody against Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 but not with antibody against Mucosal Addressin Cell Adhesion Molecule-1.

This study reveals that some of the blood vessels associated with conjunctival follicles and lamina propria have features of high endothelial venules. These vessels may play a significant role in lymphocyte homing to the conjunctiva and Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 (but not Mucosal Addressin Cell Adhesion Molecule-1) is one of the vascular addressin/adhesion molecules.

References (34)

  • E.C. Butcher et al.

    Lymphocyte homing and homeostasis

    Science

    (1996)
  • N. Cerf-Bensussan et al.

    The human intraepithelial lymphocyte marker HML-1 is an integrin consisting of a β7 subunit associated with a distinctive α chain

    Eur. J. Immunol.

    (1992)
  • H.S. Dua et al.

    Ultrastructural pathology of the `barrier sites’ in experimental autoimmune uveitis and experimental autoimmune pinealitis

    Br. J. Ophthalmol.

    (1991)
  • H.S. Dua et al.

    Conjunctival instillation of retinal antigens induces tolerance

    Ocul. Immunol. Inflamm.

    (1994)
  • H.S. Dua et al.

    Mucosa specific lymphocytes in the human conjunctiva, corneoscleral limbus and lacrimal gland

    Curr. Eye Res.

    (1994)
  • H.S. Dua et al.

    Fresh-frozen cucumber as a mount for conjunctival and corneal tissue in cryomicrotomy

    Arch. Ophthalmol.

    (1994)
  • H.S. Dua et al.

    The ocular surface as part of the mucosal immune system: conjunctival mucosa-specific lymphocytes in ocular surface pathology

    Eye

    (1995)
  • Cited by (25)

    • Homing of mucosal lymphocytes to the liver in the pathogenesis of hepatic complications of inflammatory bowel disease

      2002, Lancet
      Citation Excerpt :

      Extraintestinal complications that arise during an acute flare of inflammatory bowel disease could do so because circulating effector lymphocytes activated in the gut express high concentrations of adhesion molecules, such as LFA-1 and VLA-4, which promote recruitment of effector lymphocytes to tissues in which low concentrations of the endothelial ligands ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 are expressed. This mechanism could apply to the eye, a mucosal surface where increased expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 has been recorded in people with uveitis,54,55 and where VAP-1, although not MAdCAM-1, has been detected in vessels similar to high endothelial venules in conjunctival follicles56 (figure 3). Arthropathy is the most common extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease, affecting up to 30% of people with this disorder.

    • Lymphocyte migration to inflamed lacrimal glands is mediated by vascular cell adhesion molecule-1/α<inf>4</inf>β<inf>1</inf> integrin, peripheral node addressin/L-selectin, and lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 adhesion pathways

      2001, American Journal of Pathology
      Citation Excerpt :

      MAdCAM-1 does not serve as an adhesion molecule in all mucosal lymphoid tissues, however. For example, HEV in several mucosal sites—including tonsil, bronchus-associated lymphoid tissues (BALT) (Xu, Butcher, and Michie, unpublished observation), nasal-associated lymphoid tissues, inflamed oral mucosa, and inflamed conjunctiva—fail to express functionally significant levels of MAdCAM-1.40–42 Although lacrimal glands are mucosal tissues, we did not find expression of MAdCAM-1 in normal or inflamed glands (Figure 3).

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    f1

    Address correspondence to: Harminder Singh Dua, Department of Ophthalmology, Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, England, NG7 2UH, U.K.

    View full text