REDUCTION IN THE INCIDENCE OF REJECTION OF HETEROTOPIC MURINE CORNEAL TRANSPLANTS BY PRETREATMENT WITH ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

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Abstract
A reduction in the incidence of rejection of mouse heterotopic corneal allografts was achieved by in vitro pretreatment of the graft with ultraviolet light. By day 21, 68% of untreated BALB/c corneas trans-planted into s.c. abdominal pouches of C57BL/6 recipi-ents demostrated rejection In contrast, corneas pre-treated with UV-A, -B, or -C at 150 mJ/cm2showed an incidence of rejection at day 21 of 30%, 33% and 18%, respectively. Experiments indicate a significant reduction in rejection with doses of UV-B radiation above 75 mJ/cm.2 The mechanism of this reduction is unknown, but may be due to a depletion or alteration of ocular surface Langerhans cells residing in the corneal epithelium.