Anterior chamber lymph node implantation: local adoptive immune response in the eye.

The rabbit anterior chamber was used for the implantation of specifically sensitized autologus lymph node tissue, and the response to local and systemic injection of antigen studied. Clinical observation of the sensitized eye following challenge with specific antigen showed a marked hemorrhagic iritis with typical anterior chamber "flare" and fbrinous exudate. This response occurred within hours after local antigenic challenge, reached a peak within 24 to 48 hours, and gradually subsided over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. Microscopic examination revealed marked cellular activity within the implanted lymphoid tissue and a striking increase in the number of plasma cells in the iris and corneal stroma, most marked at the limbus. These results are most consistent with the view that immunologically competent cells within the eye respond to local or systemic antigenic stimulation resulting in clinical uveitis. It is felt that this experimental model may provide a useful tool for further investigation of a wide spectrum of uveitis-related mechanisms.