Topographical and morphological differences of corneal dendritic cells during steady state and inflammation

Purpose: We report novel differences in mouse corneal DC morphology and density during local and systemic inflammation. Methods: Local inflammation was induced by topical application of saline or TLR9 agonist CpG-ODN on abraded C57BL6J mouse corneas. Systemic inflammation was induced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in CD11c-YFP mice. Corneal epithelial DCs from uninjured, injured and contralateral eyes were analysed by confocal microscopy. Results: Following local CpG delivery on the injured cornea, the DC density and size increased in both central and peripheral regions. Contralateral uninjured eyes displayed enlarged DC morphology in the central cornea compared to naive cohorts. After systemic LPS, the size of DCs in the central cornea was lower at 2 hours, returning to baseline after 24 hours. Conclusions: Corneal DCs respond differently in terms of shape and distribution during local and systemic inflammation. These features can serve as in vivo indicators in ocular and systemic diseases.