Effects of Diabetes Mellitus on Corneal Immune Cell Activation and the Development of Keratopathy
Pier Luigi Surico,
Akitomo Narimatsu,
Katayoon Forouzanfar,
Rohan Bir Singh,
Sara Shoushtari,
Reza Dana,
Tomas Blanco
Affiliations
Pier Luigi Surico
Laboratory of Ocular Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Akitomo Narimatsu
Laboratory of Ocular Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Katayoon Forouzanfar
Laboratory of Ocular Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Rohan Bir Singh
Laboratory of Ocular Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Sara Shoushtari
Laboratory of Ocular Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Reza Dana
Laboratory of Ocular Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Tomas Blanco
Laboratory of Ocular Immunology, Transplantation and Regeneration, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most prevalent diseases globally, and its prevalence is rapidly increasing. Most patients with a long-term history of DM present with some degree of keratopathy (DK). Despite its high incidence, the underlying inflammatory mechanism of DK has not been elucidated yet. For further insights into the underlying immunopathologic processes, we utilized streptozotocin-induced mice to model type 1 DM (T1D) and B6.Cg-Lepob/J mice to model type 2 DM (T2D). We evaluated the animals for the development of clinical manifestations of DK. Four weeks post-induction, the total frequencies of corneal CD45+CD11b+Ly-6G− myeloid cells, with enhanced gene and protein expression levels for the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β, were higher in both T1D and T2D animals. Additionally, the frequencies of myeloid cells/mm2 in the sub-basal neural plexus (SBNP) were significantly higher in T1D and T2D compared to non-diabetic mice. DK clinical manifestations were observed four weeks post-induction, including significantly lower tear production, corneal sensitivity, and epitheliopathy. Nerve density in the SBNP and intraepithelial terminal endings per 40x field were lower in both models compared to the normal controls. The findings of this study indicate that DM alters the immune quiescent state of the cornea during disease onset, which may be associated with the progressive development of the clinical manifestations of DK.
