Elsevier

Survey of Ophthalmology

Volume 39, Issue 3, November–December 1994, Pages 241-252
Survey of Ophthalmology

Current research
The eye and the eosinophil☆

https://doi.org/10.1016/0039-6257(94)90197-XGet rights and content

Abstract

Recent work has highlighted the eosinophil's role as an effector cell in a wide array of disease entities, including parasitic infections and allergic and nonallergic diseases. The eosinophil is filled with granules containing toxic cationic proteins, capable of harming tissue when released to the extracellular space. In the eye, toxic eosinophil cationic granule proteins have been encountered in conjunctiva, cornea, tears, and contact lenses of patients suffering from ocular allergy, suggesting an effector role for the eosinophil in the ophthalmic manifestations of atopy. Laboratory investigations indicate that eosinophil granule major basic protein, the principal eosinophil granule protein, may adversely influence corneal epithelium, and promote corneal ulceration in the severest forms of ocular allergy. Further, the eosinophil may play a contributory pathophysiologic role in some nonallergic ophthalmic diseases such as Wegener's granulomatosis, orbital pseudotumor, and histiocytosis X. The eosinophil's morphologic, immunologic, and biochemical characteristics will be reviewed and its role in certain ophthalmic diseases thoroughly examined.

References (167)

  • U Gullberg et al.

    The cytotoxic eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) has ribonuclease activity

    Biochem Biophys Res Commun

    (1986)
  • K.J. Hamann et al.

    Eosinophil peroxidase-mediated toxicity to microfilariae of Brugia pahangi and Brugia malayi (abstract)

  • A.T. Hastie et al.

    The effect of purified human eosinophil granule major basic protein on mammalian ciliary activity

    Am Rev Respir Dis

    (1987)
  • W.R. Henderson et al.

    Eosinophil peroxidase-induced mast cell secretion

    J Exp Med

    (1980)
  • M.J. Hogan

    Atopic keratoconjunctivitis

    Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc

    (1952)
  • E Ingley et al.

    Characterization of a receptor for IL-5 on human eosinophils and the myeloid leukemia line HL-60

    Blood

    (1991)
  • F.A. Jakobiec et al.

    Chapter 35-Orbital inflammations

  • P.H. Kalina et al.

    Diagnostic value and limitations of orbital biopsy in Wegener's granulomatosis

    Ophthalmology

    (1992)
  • S.M. Kennedy et al.

    Bilateral Kimura's disease of the eyelids

    Br J Ophthalmol

    (1992)
  • S.J. Klebanoff et al.

    Functional studies on human peritoneal eosinophils

    Infect Immun

    (1977)
  • L Lichtenstein et al.

    Integration of eosinophilic granuloma of bone. “Letterer-Siwe disease,” and “Schuller-Christian disease” as related manifestations of a single nosologic entity

    Arch Pathol

    (1953)
  • M.W. MacCumber et al.

    Ophthalmic involvement in aggressive histiocytosis X

    Ophthalmology

    (1990)
  • G.E. Marak

    Phacoanaphylactic endophthalmitis

    Surv Ophthalmol

    (1992)
  • M.P. McGarry et al.

    Lymphoid cell dependence of eosinophil response to antigen

    J Exp Med

    (1971)
  • M.B. Abelson et al.

    Conjunctival eosinophils in allergic ocular disease

    Arch Ophthalmol

    (1983)
  • R.I. Abu-Ghazaleh et al.

    Interaction of eosinophil granule major basic protein with synthetic lipid bilayers: a mechanism for toxicity

    J Membr Biol

    (1992)
  • S.J. Ackerman et al.

    Distinctive cationic proteins of the human eosinophil granule: major basic protein, eosinophil cationic protein, and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin

    J Immunol

    (1983)
  • S.J. Ackerman et al.

    Comparative toxicity of purified human eosinophil granule cationic proteins for schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni

    Am J Trop Med Hgy

    (1985)
  • M.R. Allansmith et al.

    Giant papillary conjunctivitis

    Int Ophthalmol Clin

    (1988)
  • R.L. Baehner et al.

    Metabolic and bactericidal activities of human eosinophils

    Br J Haematol

    (1971)
  • S.A. Baghdassarian et al.

    Eosinophilic granuloma of orbit

    Ann Ophthalmol

    (1977)
  • R.L. Barker et al.

    Acidic precursor revealed in human eosinophil granule major basic protein cDNA

    J Exp Med

    (1988)
  • A Basten et al.

    Mechanism of eosinophilia. Role of the lymphocyte

    J Exp Med

    (1970)
  • A.J. Beller et al.

    Eosinophilic granuloma of the orbit

    Br J Ophthalmol

    (1951)
  • G Ben et al.

    Some properties of human eosinophil peroxidase, a comparison with other peroxidases

    Biochim Biophys Acta

    (1984)
  • F.C. Blodi et al.

    Inflammatory pseudotumor of the orbit

    BrJ Ophthalmol

    (1968)
  • S Bonini et al.

    Conjunctival provocation test as a model for the study of allergy and inflammation in humans

    Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol

    (1989)
  • A.J. Box et al.

    Some enzymatic characteristics of eosinophil peroxidase from patients with eosinophilia and from healthy donors

    Infect Immun

    (1981)
  • H.R. Brady et al.

    Wegener's granulomatosis and corneo-scleral ulcer (letter to the editor)

    JAMA

    (1965)
  • D.H. Brown et al.

    Orbital Pseudotumors

    J Otolaryngol

    (1988)
  • R Brubaker et al.

    Granulomatous sclerouveitis: regression of ocular lesions with cyclophosphamide and prednisone

    Arch Ophthalmol

    (1971)
  • R.J. Buckley

    Pathology and treatment of giant papillary conjunctivitis. II. The British perspective

    Clin Ther

    (1987)
  • R.J. Buckley

    Vernal keratoconjunctivitis

    Int Ophthalmol Clin

    (1988)
  • A.E. Butterworth et al.

    Damage to schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni induced directly by eosinophil major basic protein

    J Immunol

    (1979)
  • M Capron

    Eosinophils: receptors and mediators in hypersensitivity

    Clin Exp Allergy

    (1989)
  • M.G. Carlson et al.

    Human cosinophil peroxidase: purification and characterization

    J Immunol

    (1985)
  • H.B. Chawla et al.

    Eosinophilic granuloma of the orbit

    J Pediatr Ophthalmol

    (1968)
  • D.G. Cogan

    Corneoscleral lesions in periarteritis nodosa and Wegener's granulomatosis

    Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc

    (1955)
  • R.E. Coutu et al.

    Limited form of Wegener granulomatosis. Eye involvement as a major sign

    JAMA

    (1975)
  • R.J. de Keizer et al.

    cANCA test and the detection of Wegener's disease in sclerokeratitis and uveitis

    Curr Eye Res

    (1990)

    • Cited by (77)

    • Staphylococcus aureus accelerates an experimental allergic conjunctivitis by Toll-like receptor 2-dependent manner

      2009, Clinical Immunology
      Citation Excerpt :

      Blockade of TLR2 signaling resulted in a significant decrease of S. aureus-induced allergic conjunctival inflammation and Th2-type immune responses. The main pathophysiological changes in conjunctival allergic reactions include increased levels of IgE Ab in serum and infiltration of eosinophils into the conjunctiva [1,8]. These pathologic processes of allergic reaction are thought to be mediated by Th2-type cells, which preferentially produce IgE-enhancing cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-13 [2,3,31,32].

    • Ocular Allergy Overview

      2008, Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America
      Citation Excerpt :

      In addition, tear film dysfunction (otherwise known as dry eye syndrome [DES]), commonly complicates ocular allergy and its treatments, especially as the age of the patient increases and is included to reflect the spectrum of hypersensitivity responses from immunoglobulin E (IgE) mast cell hypersensitivity conditions to a mixture of mast cell and cell mediated disorders that involve different mechanisms, cytokines, and cellular populations [23–25]. For example, mast cell degranulation [26–28] and histamine release [29–33] play key roles with limited eosinophil involvement [34–36] in the common forms of SAC and PAC, whereas AKC and VKC are characterized by more chronic inflammatory cellular infiltrates primarily composed of Th2 lymphocytes with an interplay with activated mast cells and eosinophils, and tear film dysfunction, a Th1 mediated disorder, commonly can overlap ocular allergy syndromes (Table 1) [37–39]. Mast cell mediators such as histamine, tryptase, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins in the tear fluid have diverse and overlapping biologic effects [40–42], all of which contribute to the characteristic itching, redness, watering, and mucous discharge associated with both acute and chronic allergic eye disease.

    • Allergic diseases of the eye

      2006, Medical Clinics of North America
      Citation Excerpt :

      This condition is also included to reflect the spectrum from IgE–mast cell hypersensitivity conditions to mixtures of mast cell– and cell-mediated disorders that involve quite different mechanisms, cytokines, and cellular populations [17–19]. For example, mast cell degranulation [20–22], histamine release [23–27], and eosinophils [28–30] play key roles in the common forms of seasonal and perennial conjunctivitis. By contrast, AKC and VKC are characterized by more chronic inflammatory cellular infiltrates, primarily composed of Th2 lymphocytes with a minimal interplay with mast cells.

    • Anonic Silicon Hydrogels Affect the Concentration of Proteins in Tears during Wear

      2024, Current Eye Research

    • Allergic Eye Disorders

      2023, Inflammatory Mechanisms in Allergic Diseases

    • Comparison of cytokine mediators in type 2 inflammatory conditions on the skin and ocular surface

      2022, Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    ☆

    Supported by the Sealy Foundation (Galveston), the Lions Eye Bank Foundation (Houston, TX), and a development grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., (New York, NY).

    View full text
    Copyright © 1994 Published by Elsevier Inc.