Regular Contributions
Cytokine Gene Expression after
Subretinal Transplantation
- TOSHIAKI ABE,
YOSHIYUKI TAKEDA,
KATSURA YAMADA, KEIKO
AKAISHI, HIROSHI
TOMITA, MASAMI SATO
and MAKOTO TAMAI
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku
University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574
Transplantation study of
neural retina, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE), or iris pigment
epithelial (IPE) cells have been performed not only in animal model
but in human age-related macular degeneration, and some of the
findings reported with cystoid macular edema may have been due to
graft rejection. In this investigation, we examined cytokine gene
expression by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction at the
transplanted subretinal space. Transplantation was performed in
normal Royal College of Surgeon's rats using cultured human RPE and
rat IPE. They were followed without immunosupression. Gene expression
for melanogenesis of transplanted human RPE was observed only in the
early days after transplantation. Rat interleukin (IL)-1a, -1b,
-2, -6, interferon g, and tumor
necrosis factor a (TNFa) genes were also expressed after the early
days of transplantation. Cytokine expression was observed not only
after cell transplantation but also after vehicle-only injection,
which was considered a reaction to the surgical trauma. However,
statistically significant amount of expressions of IL-1a, -1b,
and -6 were observed after the early days of transplantation of human
RPE or IL-1a, -1b, and TNFa of rat IPE, if we compare them to
vehicle-only injection. These cytokines may play an important role
for the local reaction after transplantation.
Key words--- cytokine; transplantation;
retina; RT-PCR
© 1999 Tohoku University Medical Press
Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1999,
189,179-189
Address for reprints: Toshiaki Abe, Department of
Ophthalmology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryomachi,
Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
e-mail: toshi@oph.med.tohoku.ac.jp
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