purpose. To investigate the characteristics of the mononuclear cell infiltrate in murine experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU).

methods. EAU was induced by immunization with bovine interphotoreceptor retinal binding protein (IRBP) in Freund’s complete adjuvant (subcutaneous injection) and pertussis toxin (intraperitoneal injection) in B10RIII mouse. Then animals were killed on days 7, 9, 12, 15, 20, 26, and 39 after immunization. Eyes were processed for hematoxylin and eosin staining to characterize the disease and to assess the severity and extent of the EAU. Single and dual immunohistochemical staining in various combinations with monoclonal antibodies against CD45, CD4, CD8, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, CD11c, NLDC-145, and a variety of macrophage markers was performed.

results. The authors’ results showed that vitritis, vasculitis and perivasculitis, retinal detachment, and granuloma formation in retina and choroid were the predominant features of IRBP-induced B10RIII mice EAU. Immunohistologic results showed that CD4+ T cells and macrophages were the main infiltrating cells in retina and choroid throughout the entire course of the disease. MHC class II negative macrophages expressing antigens reacting with MOMA-2, F4/80, sialoadhesin, and CD11b were prominent during the peak phase of tissue damage in the retina and choroid. Dendritic cells (DCs) characterized by dual positivity for MHC class II and CD11c and negative for sialoadhesin appeared at time of disease onset and continued to be recruited during the inflammatory process. DCs at the site of inflammation were NLDC-145 weak and CD8 negative, indicating that they were of the myeloid rather than the lymphoid lineage.

conclusions. The results suggest that EAU in B10RIII mice is initiated by local-infiltrating, dendritic antigen–presenting cells, whereas tissue damage is associated with sialoadhesin-positive, phagocytic nonantigen-presenting macrophages during the effector stage.