Conjunctival mast cell as a mediator of eosinophilic response in ocular allergy

PURPOSE: To determine the contribution of conjunctival mast cells to the allergen-specific inflammatory responses in eyes with allergic conjunctivitis and to test the hypothesis that mast cells act as mediators of the early phase response. METHODS: The participation of mast cells in allergen-induced inflammatory cell recruitment was studied in an experimental murine model of allergic conjunctivitis. Experimental allergic conjunctivitis was induced by a single or multiple sensitizing injections of an allergen. The conjunctiva of allergen-sensitized, mast cell-deficient (Kit(w)/Kit(w-v)) mice were reconstituted with conjunctival mast cells isolated from naïve wild type mice by subconjunctival transfer. Kit(w)/Kit(w-v) mice and conjunctival mast cell reconstituted Kit(w)/Kit(w-v) mice were evaluated for early phase reactions and late phase inflammatory responses. RESULTS: The early phase response was minimal in Kit(w)/Kit(w-v) mice after both a single injection and multiple sensitization injections of the allergen. The early phase responses were fully restored following adoptive transfer of isolated conjunctival mast cells from naïve wild type mice. Eosinophilic inflammatory responses were significantly depressed in Kit(w)/Kit(w-v) mice without the impairment of allergen-specific priming. Reconstitution of the conjunctiva of Kit(w)/Kit(w-v) mice with mast cells from wild type mice fully restored the allergen-specific eosinophilic responses but not the neutrophilic responses. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that conjunctival mast cells are essential for eosinophilic inflammation but not for neutrophilia in allergic conjunctivitis that is mediated by mast cell activation.