TY - JOUR
T1 - Diurnal changes and topographical distribution of ocular surface epithelial dendritic cells in humans, and repeatability of density and morphology assessment
AU - Tajbakhsh, Zahra
AU - Jalbert, Isabelle
AU - Stapleton, Fiona
AU - Briggs, Nancy
AU - Golebiowski, Blanka
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Faculty of Science Research Infrastructure Scheme. The first author received a fee remission scholarship from UNSW Sydney and the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Open access publishing facilitated by University of New South Wales, as part of the Wiley ‐ University of New South Wales agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Funding Information:
This study was supported by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Faculty of Science Research Infrastructure Scheme. The first author received a fee remission scholarship from UNSW Sydney and the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Open access publishing facilitated by University of New South Wales, as part of the Wiley - University of New South Wales agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of College of Optometrists.
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - Purpose: Dendritic cells (DC) play a crucial role in ocular surface defence. DC can be visualised in vivo by confocal microscopy but have not yet been fully characterised in humans. This study investigated the diurnal variation, topographical distribution and repeatability of DC density and morphology measurements. Methods: In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) was conducted on 20 healthy participants (mean age 32.7 ± 6.4 years, 50% female) at baseline and repeated after 30 minutes, 2, 6 and 24 h. Images were captured at the corneal centre, inferior whorl, corneal periphery, limbus and bulbar conjunctiva. DC were counted manually, and their morphology was assessed for cell body size, presence of dendrites, and presence of long and thick dendrites. Mixed-model analysis, non-parametric analyses, Bland and Altman plots, coefficient of repeatability (CoR) and kappa were used. Results: There were no significant changes in DC density (p ≥ 0.74) or morphology (p > 0.07) at any location over the 24-h period. The highest DC density was observed at the corneal limbus followed by the peripheral cornea (p < 0.001), with the lowest density at the corneal centre, inferior whorl and bulbar conjunctiva. Most DC at the corneal periphery, limbus and bulbar conjunctiva had larger cell bodies compared with the corneal centre (p ≤ 0.01), and the presence of long dendrites was observed mostly at non-central locations. Day-to-day CoR for DC density ranged from ±28.1 cells/mm2 at the corneal centre to ±56.4 cells/mm2 at the limbus. Day-to-day agreement of DC morphology determined by kappa ranged from 0.5 to 0.95 for cell body size, 0.60 to 0.95 for presence of dendrites, and 0.55 to 0.80 for the presence of long dendrites at various locations. Conclusions: No diurnal changes are apparent in corneal or conjunctival DC. Substantial topographical differences exist in DC density and morphology. IVCM provides good repeatability of DC density and acceptable agreement of DC morphology.
AB - Purpose: Dendritic cells (DC) play a crucial role in ocular surface defence. DC can be visualised in vivo by confocal microscopy but have not yet been fully characterised in humans. This study investigated the diurnal variation, topographical distribution and repeatability of DC density and morphology measurements. Methods: In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) was conducted on 20 healthy participants (mean age 32.7 ± 6.4 years, 50% female) at baseline and repeated after 30 minutes, 2, 6 and 24 h. Images were captured at the corneal centre, inferior whorl, corneal periphery, limbus and bulbar conjunctiva. DC were counted manually, and their morphology was assessed for cell body size, presence of dendrites, and presence of long and thick dendrites. Mixed-model analysis, non-parametric analyses, Bland and Altman plots, coefficient of repeatability (CoR) and kappa were used. Results: There were no significant changes in DC density (p ≥ 0.74) or morphology (p > 0.07) at any location over the 24-h period. The highest DC density was observed at the corneal limbus followed by the peripheral cornea (p < 0.001), with the lowest density at the corneal centre, inferior whorl and bulbar conjunctiva. Most DC at the corneal periphery, limbus and bulbar conjunctiva had larger cell bodies compared with the corneal centre (p ≤ 0.01), and the presence of long dendrites was observed mostly at non-central locations. Day-to-day CoR for DC density ranged from ±28.1 cells/mm2 at the corneal centre to ±56.4 cells/mm2 at the limbus. Day-to-day agreement of DC morphology determined by kappa ranged from 0.5 to 0.95 for cell body size, 0.60 to 0.95 for presence of dendrites, and 0.55 to 0.80 for the presence of long dendrites at various locations. Conclusions: No diurnal changes are apparent in corneal or conjunctival DC. Substantial topographical differences exist in DC density and morphology. IVCM provides good repeatability of DC density and acceptable agreement of DC morphology.
KW - antigen capture capacity
KW - conjunctiva
KW - cornea
KW - dendritic cell
KW - diurnal variation
KW - migratory capacity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85145412497&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/opo.13087
DO - 10.1111/opo.13087
M3 - Article
C2 - 36592129
AN - SCOPUS:85145412497
SN - 0275-5408
VL - 43
SP - 273
EP - 283
JO - Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics
JF - Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics
IS - 2
ER -