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104. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft 2006
Abstract
Abstract
SO.14.11 Investigation of the crypt system of the human conjunctiva by confocal in-vivo microscopy (RLSM) Knop N.1, Knop E.2, Zhivov A.3, Pleyer U.4, Rieck P.4, Velhagen K. H.4, Stave J.3, Guthoff R.3
1Dept. for Cell Biology in Anatomy, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover; 2Research Lab of the Eye Clinic, CVK, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; 3University Eye Hospital Rostock, 4University Eye Clinic CVK, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Objective: The human conjunctiva has a system of epithelial infoldings (crypts of Stieda and Henle) which is not well known because it is not obvious in clinical examination. The structure of these crypts is investigated here by confocal in-vivo microscopy (Rostock Laser Scanning Microscope, RLSM) and compared to histological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopical data.
Methods: The tarsal conjunctiva of normal human individuals (3) was investigated by RLSM and compared to results from whole-mounts of complete human conjunctival sacs of body donors prepared as stained translucent specimens (20) or for histology and immunohistochemistry (7) or for scanning (SEM, 2) and transmission (TEM, 4) electron microscopy.
Results: RLSM investigation shows that the mucosa is organized in roundish islands covered by an epithelium composed of cells with polygonal outline and separated by a network of narrow infoldings of the epithelium, as similarly seen in SEM. The epithelium at the cryptal flanks consists of narrow palisade cells with bright apical secretory granules and inter-spersed darker spaces corresponding to secretory cells and goblet cells, respectively, in TEM. Bright cells with dendritic morphology occurred in the epithelium and underneath. The area of the basement membrane (bm) appears as a thin bright layer that is continuous, within the mucosal islands, with a framework of bright fibres. Both showed numerous dark spots which frequently contained brighter cells. This corresponds to lym-phocytes located between the extracellular fibre net and passing through the basement membrane. Immunohistochemistry shows T- and B-lymphocytes, plasma cells as well as IgA and its transporter (SC).
Conclusions: The RLSM allows an investigation of the conjunctival morphology that reaches up to ultrastructural cellular details. The crypt system of the human conjunctiva is a part of the Eye-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (EALT) that provides cellular immune protection and locally produces protective IgA which is transported into the preocular tear film.
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