Phenotypic and immunoregulatory characteristics of monocytic iris cells.

The introduction of antigen into the anterior chamber of an eye induces the antigen-specific suppression of cell-mediated immunity and the antigen-induced production of immunoglobulin G2 antibodies. To define further the role of iris monocytic cells in the systemic suppression of cell-mediated immunity that follows the entry of foreign antigen into the anterior chamber, murine iris wholemounts or cell suspensions of iris cells were stained with fluorescent anti-F4/80 and/or anti-CD11c, anti-CD11b antibodies and examined by confocal microscopy or flow cytometry, respectively. Monocytic cells in iris cell suspensions were recovered from mice receiving an injection of trinitrophenylated bovine serum albumin (TNP-BSA) into an anterior chamber and Percoll-enriched iris cells separated into cells expressing F4/80 or CD11c were injected intravenously into TNP-BSA-immunized or naive recipients. The recipients were challenged to induce delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) or were provided with splenocytes or thymocytes that transfer the suppression of DTH. The homing of monocytic bone marrow cells to the iris was determined by the intravenous injection of bone marrow cells from green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transgenic donors into C57 mice, and the staining of recipient iris wholemounts with anti-F4/80 antibodies. Iris cells with a dendritic morphology expressing both F4/80 and/or CD11c and CD11b, some cells expressing only F4/80 or CD11c, were detected. The irides of irradiated GFP- mice that received intravenous GFP+ bone marrow cells contained GFP+ F4/80+ cells. F4/80+ and CD11c+ cells from the irides of donors that received intracameral TNP-BSA transferred the suppression of DTH when injected intravenously into TNP-BSA-immunized recipients, activated immunoregulatory thymocytes and activated antigen-specific splenic regulatory effector cells. These results support the hypothesis that iris monocytic cells may participate in the systemic induction of regulatory T cells.