Systematic variations in immune response-related gene transcript abundance suggest new questions about environmental influences on lacrimal gland immunoregulation.

Purpose: Retrospective analyses were undertaken to assess the hypothesis that environmental variables influenced immunophysiological status of lacrimal glands from untreated female rabbits that had been housed out-of-doors until they were acquired for use as controls for experimental studies.Materials and Methods: Rabbits were euthanized within 5 days of arrival at University Vivaria. Glands were divided for histology and RNA extraction. Transcript abundances were determined with real time RT-PCR. Sections were stained for CD18 and rabbit thymic lymphocyte antigen. Environmental variables assessed were mean daily high temperature, low humidity, high temperature/low humidity ratio, and days with above average temperature/humidity ratio (“adverse days”) during the prior 30 days.Results: Spearman’s analyses revealed numerous significant correlations. Numbers of T cells and abundances of mRNAs for CD8; CCL2, and CCL4; IL-1α and IL-1β; the TH1 cytokine, IL-2; and the TH2- and B cell cytokines, IL-4, IL-6, IL-1...