BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare immunologic graft rejection in adult and 3-week-old immature recipients in the @entity35 keratoplasty model. METHODS: Forty orthotopic penetrating keratoplasties were performed in four different donor-recipient combinations. Group 1 consisted of adult Fisher donors and adult Lewis recipients, group 2 consisted of adult Fisher donors and immature Lewis recipients, group 3 consisted of adult Lewis donors and recipients, and group 4 consisted of adult Lewis donors and immature Lewis recipients. An immunohistologic evaluation of the grafts was performed on day 14. RESULTS: Grafts in both allogeneic groups (groups 1 and 2) showed infiltration with @entity11264 + cells, CD8+ cells, natural killer (NK) cells, @entity1590 + cells. The density of infiltrating @entity11264 +, CD8+, interleukin-2-receptor+, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1+ cells in the graft stroma, however, was statistically significantly lower in the immature group (group 2) than in the adult group (group 1). The density of CD161+ NK cells, in contrast, was statistically significantly higher in the immature group than in the adult group. There were no or only a few infiltrating inflammatory cells in grafts of both syngeneic groups (groups 3 and 4). CONCLUSIONS: We were able to establish for the first time an animal model for keratoplasty in @entity1 that showed that the mechanism of graft rejection in young recipients seems to be different from that in mature @entity35 . In adult recipients, alloreactive T cells are the main mediators of rejection, whereas NK cells seem to play a more dominant role in immature recipients.

Differential contribution of natural killer cells to corneal graft rejection in 3-week-old versus mature XXXX .

@entity35 :: ('10116', 'Species') :: ['rat', 'rats'] @entity11264 :: ('24932(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['CD4'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['infants'] @entity1590 :: ('25464(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['interleukin-2-receptor+ cells, macrophages, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1']
@entity35 :: (10116,Species) :: ['rats']
