Epithelial Dendritic Cell Ditribution in Normal and Inflamed Human Cornea: In Vivo Confocal Microcopy tudy Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To evaluate dendritic cell (DC) denity, ditribution, and morphology in central corneal and limbal epithelium in normal ubject and patient with immune-mediated corneal inflammation uing in vivo confocal microcopy (IVCM). Deign Comparative cae-controlled, obervational confocal microcopy tudy. Method A total of 135 eye of 135 patient were invetigated. Group 1 (normal eye) included 45 eye of 45 healthy volunteer, group 2 photorefractive keratectomy (PRK-treated eye) included 45 myopic eye of 45 patient treated with PRK, and group 3 (inflamed eye) compried 45 eye of 45 patient affected by immune-mediated corneal inflammation. The central cornea and limbu were examined for epithelial dendritic-haped cell uing laer canning IVCM. DC denity wa calculated uing image analyi oftware. Reult Cell with a branching dendritic morphology were viualized in the baal epithelial layer, baal lamina, and ubbaal nerve plexu, in the central cornea, and in the baal layer and baal membrane of the limbal epithelium. The limbal epithelium demontrated DC in 93.3%, 89%, and 97.7% of eye in group 1, 2, and 3, repectively (P = n). Central epithelial DC were oberved in 20.0% and 13.3% of eye in group 1 and 2 (P = n), while in 93.3% of eye in group 3 (P < .001). DC were found to be ignificantly higher at the limbu compared with central cornea in each group (P < .001). Cell denitie oberved in group 3 were ignificantly greater than group 1 and 2, at both location (P < .05). Concluion Laer canning IVCM i a ueful method for evaluating epithelial DC ditribution at the limbu and central cornea in both healthy and dieaed eye.