Globe involvement in sinus histiocytosis.
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Child↗
Biomedical subjects
M R Allansmith
Publications and source records attributed to M R Allansmith.
Allergic disorders of the anterior segment.
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Animals↗
Biomicroscopy of papillae associated with wearing of soft contact lenses.
We studied the topographical, macrostructural, and fluorescein staining characteristics of papillary changes of the upper tarsal conjunctiva associated with the wearing of hydrophilic (soft) contact lenses. Fifty soft contact lens wearers with elevated conjunctival papillae greater than 0.3 mm in diameter were studied. Topographic characteristics recorded were distribution and number of papillae; macrostructural characteristics recorded were diameter and morphology of papillae. The information collected included age of patient, duration of lens wear, average daily time of wearing lens, presence or absence of itching or mucus, refractive status, and atopic history. Papillae were found in most cases in the conjunctival zone adjacent to the tarsal fold and were never found in the zone adjacent to the eyelid margin without also occurring in the intervening zone. The diameter of the papillae ranged from greater than 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm. The number of papillae per eyelid ranged from 4 to over 100. The apices of the papillae were frequently flattened, and these flattened surfaces frequently stained with fluorescein. The vascular supply of individual papillae was observed to radiate from a vessel occupying the central core of each papilla.
Adult↗
Sequence of mast-cell changes in ocular anaphylaxis.
Ocular anaphylaxis was produced in rats by the injection of egg albumin into ocular adnexal tissues of immunized animals. Mast cells in the tip of the eyelid from normal, antigen-injected control and antigen-injected immunized rats were examined at 1/2, 1, 6 and 24 hr. The number of cells and their morphology was determined. All three groups had the same number of mast cells at all time intervals. Extensive mast-cell degranulation was observed at 1/2 and 1 hr in lid tips of immunized, antigen-challenged rats. By 24 hr, the mast cells appeared to have 'healed' and regranulated, although it was possible to distinguish these cells from mast cells of normal animals. We conclude that under certain conditions, mast cells participating in ocular anaphylaxis are not destroyed but survive and regenerate granules within the first 24 hr.
Anaphylaxis↗
Human ocular mucus. Scanning electron microscopic study.
Twenty biopsy specimens of the human conjunctival epithelial surface with its associated mucus from normal subjects and contact lens wearers with biomicroscopic evidence of excess mucus were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Mucus existed in strands, sheets, and granules; each morphologic type of mucus was observed in all samples. No qualitative difference in morphologic features of mucus was found between normal subjects and those with excess mucus. Mucous forms observed by scanning electron microscopy closely resembled structures previously shown by biomicroscopic and light microscopic techniques, providing evidence that careful scanning electron microscopic preparation of biopsy specimens containing mucus may not greatly alter in situ morphologic characteristics of mucus.
Conjunctiva↗
Comparison fo agglutinin titers for Streptococcus mutans in tears, saliva, and serum.
The agglutinin titers for three Streptococcus mutans serotypes (AHT, BHT, and 10449, representing serotypes a, b, and c, respectively) were measured in the saliva, tears, and serum of 19 human subjects. Naturally occurring S. mutans agglutinins were routinely present in all fluids tested in the absence of overt local stimulation by antigen. The immunoglobulin A nature of this secretory agglutinin activity was suggested by blocking with alpha heavy-chain-specific antiserum and by the demonstration of S. mutans-reactive immunoglobulin A in the saliva and tears by indirect immunofluorescence. This finding is consistent with stimulation and antigen commitment of immunoglobulin A precursor lymphocytes at remote sites and subsequent homing to the lacrimal system. The relationship of anti-AHT agglutinins to anti-10449 agglutinins differed among the body fluids tested. The tears had more agglutinins for strain AHT than for strain 10449, whereas the reverse was true for saliva and serum. A possible explanation is local antigen-driven expansion of AHT-reactive committed lymphocytes in the lacrimal tissues.
Adult↗
Immunoglobulin A antibody levels in human tears, saliva, and serum.
The presence and level of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to the oral microorganism Streptococcus mutans were determined in human tears, parotid saliva, and serum by a modified, indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IgA antibodies were found in the tears of all 15 subjects, although S. mutans is a nonocular bacterium. The IgA antibody levels in tears and saliva were not significantly different. This finding suggests that the level of IgA antibody activity per volume is independent of the naturally occurring site of the antigen, and that local stimulation does not cause a significant difference in the antibody level per volume of secretion between exocrine sites. Much higher levels of IgA antibody were present in serum, suggesting that after oral ingestion of antigen both the systemic and exocrine systems are stimulated. IgG antibodies to S. mutans were also found in human tears, saliva, and serum. No relationship between serum levels and tear and saliva levels was found for either IgA or IgG antibodies. Thus the antibodies in tears and saliva did not appear to have leaked from serum. We conclude that there may be remote regulation of both the ocular and the parotid IgA and IgG antibody systems.
Antibodies, Bacterial↗
Cell surface variations of the human upper tarsal conjunctiva.
Fifteen specimens of the upper tarsal conjunctiva were obtained from subjects with biomicroscopically normal conjunctivae. Ten specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy and five by transmission electron microscopy. This examination was performed to examine cells with variant surface morphologic appearance that may be signs of the initial changes typical of those seen in the diseased conjunctiva. Although most specimens had cells with a characteristic uniform distribution of microvilli, seven specimens had cells with nonuniform microvillar patterns. In these seven specimens, less than 5% of the cells showed these changes. Cell surface variations marked by reduced cell diameters and alterations in the microvillar distribution were categorized into two groups: cells with microvilli that were grouped together to form tufts of varying height and number, and cells with a single, centralized group of microvilli. These variations were seen with increased frequency in disease, and it is postulated that the microvillar changes described in this study represent a continuum of adaptive responses of cells to insult and disease.
Conjunctiva↗
Immunohistochemical localization of human tear lysozyme.
Possible local sources of human tear lysozyme were investigated using an indirect immunofluorescence technique. Lysozyme was identified in 20% to 50% of acinar and ductular epithelial cells of both main and accessory lacrimal glands. The staining was granular in character and confined to the apices of the cells. Cells that stained positive tended to be grouped. Interstitial tissues of main and accessory lacrimal tissues did not stain. Conjunctiva and all other ocular tissues examined were unstained by antilysozyme antisera. Our findings are compatible with lysozyme either being produced in lacrimal tissue or being concentrated from plasma. The absence of any other lysozyme-specific fluorescence in the interstitial elements of the lacrimal tissues supports the notion of local synthesis by acinar lacrimal tissue.
Aged↗
Density of goblet cells in vernal conjunctivitis and contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis.
Using light microscopy, the density of goblet epithelial cells was determined in the conjunctival epithelium of ten patients with vernal conjunctivitis, ten patients with contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis, and ten normal subjects. The median density was 13,000/cu mm for vernal conjunctivitis, 11,000/cu mm for giant papillary conjunctivitis, and 11,000/cu mm for normal subjects, a statistically insignificant difference. Increased mucus in vernal conjunctivitis and contact mucus in vernal conjunctivitis and contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis is not accounted for by an increased density of goblet cells per cubic millimeter. It is probably caused by the greater surface area and thickness of epithelium, with a concomitant increase in the total number of goblet cells and increased mucus from nongoblet epithelial cells.
Adolescent↗
Mast cell ultrastructure. Comparison in contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis and vernal conjunctivitis.
Mast cells from the upper tarsal conjunctiva of six normal subjects, seven persons with contact lens-associated persons with contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis (CL-GPC), and six persons with vernal conjunctivitis were examined by electron microscopy. Most mast cells from normal subjects were fully granulated and showed granule forms previously reported for conjunctiva. All mast cells from patients with CL-GPC had some degree of degranulation. The number of granules in approximately 30% of mast cells from patients with CL-GPC was sufficiently reduced that the cells probably would not have been recognized as mast cells using light microscopy. Mast cells from vernal conjunctivitis patients had the most extensive degranulation. The vast majority of these cells, at least 80%, had so few granules that it is unlikely they would have been recognized as mast cells if light microscopy alone were used.
Conjunctiva↗
The effect of cleaning soft contact lenses. A scanning electron microscopic study.
Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the effectiveness of surfactant and enzyme cleaners in removing coatings from soft contact lenses. We examined ten continuously worn lenses and 15 lenses worn and cleaned regularly for at six months. About 30% of the surface of continuously worn lenses cleaned with surfactant or enzyme was uncoated; smooth, matted coating covered the remainder. Continuously worn lenses cleaned with the combination surfactant and enzyme cleaner had similar deposits covering 50% of the surface. Lenses worn and cleaned regularly had more deposits after cleaning with surfactant or enzyme cleaner than after cleaning with combination cleaner. Approximately 25% of the surface of lenses cleaned with the combination was coated with deposits. The deposits on both types of lenses were about 30% less thick after use of the combination cleaner than with either single cleaner. The coating on worn contact lenses is not completely removed by any method we tested.
Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic↗
Goblet cells of the human conjunctiva.
We correlated histologic findings concerning conjunctival goblet cells with findings concerning the mucous membrane surfaces of the conjunctiva. Ten biopsy specimens were obtained from the upper tarsal conjunctiva and ten from the perilimbal bulbar conjunctiva. Changes in goblet cells just before and during secretion included changes in surface cell diameter, evagination of the apical surface of the cell membrane, decrease in the number of microvilli, and alteration in the arrangement and morphologic characteristics of microvilli. Changes seen by light and transmission electron microscopy correlated with those observed by scanning electron microscopy. Goblet cells were often associated with crypt openings; some crypts served as conduits for the secretion of mucus from underlying goblet cells. This study supports the hypothesis that crypts in the conjunctiva seen by scanning electron microscopy are often associated with goblet cells and their mucus secretion.
Adult↗
Fixation techniques for secretory component in human lacrimal gland and conjunctiva.
We compared biopsy specimens of human lacrimal gland and conjunctiva preserved by alcohol-acetic acid with the same tissues preserved by freezing to find secretory component. Secretory component was found in lacrimal gland preserved both by alcohol-acetic acid and by freezing. The structure of the tissue was better preserved with the alcohol-acetic acid fixation. Three of eight conjunctival specimens preserved by alcohol-acetic acid showed weak staining for secretory component in a few superficial epithelial cells. We found nonspecific staining of the conjunctiva with the control antiserum, rhodamine-labeled goat antibovine serum. Two specimens preserved by freezing were unreadable; four of the remaining six stained nonspecifically with the remaining two specimens stained with neither the control nor the experimental antiserum; the second may have had more staining with the experimental antiserum than with the control. We found no evidence for including the conjunctiva in the secretory IgA immune system.
Conjunctiva↗
Percentage of degranulated mast cells in vernal conjunctivitis and giant papillary conjunctivitis associated with contact-lens wear.
Using light microscopy, we determined the percentage of granulated and degranulated mast cells in sections of tissue from ten persons with vernal conjunctivitis, ten with giant papillary conjunctivitis associated with contact-lens wear, and ten normal subjects. Tissues from both groups of patients had a significantly higher percentage of degranulated mast cells (greater than 80%) than did normal tissue (less than 25%). The fully granulated mast cells in the three groups did not appear morphologically different, nor did the degranulated mast cells in the three groups. The percentage of degranulated mast cells in vernal conjunctivitis did not differ significantly from that in giant papillary conjunctivitis associated with contact-lens wear. The histamine level in the tears of patients with vernal conjunctivitis, which is four times higher than that of normal subjects and that of patients with giant papillary conjunctivitis associated with contact-lens wear, cannot be explained by a difference in the percentage of degranulated cells detectable by light microscopy.
Adolescent↗
Eosinophil granule major basic protein and Charcot-Leyden crystal protein in human tears.
We measured the levels of major basic protein and Charcot-Leyden crystal protein in tears from patients with ventral keratoconjunctivitis or miscellaneous inflammatory or noninflammatory ocular conditions, and from normal subjects. Patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis had significantly increased levels of both proteins in their tears compared with the other subjects tested; levels of major basic protein seemed to correlate with the severity of the disease. The levels of Charcot-Leyden crystal protein paralleled those of major basic proteins.
Eosinophils↗
Biomicroscopy of papillae associated with hard contact lens wearing.
We studied the macrostructural characteristics of papillary changes of the upper tarsal conjunctiva associated with the wearing of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) contact lenses. Fifty subjects with elevated conjunctival papillae greater than 0.3 mm in diameter were studied. Macrostructural characteristics recorded were location, diameter, and number of papillae, presence or absence of staining at the apices of papillae, and degree of hyperemia of the upper tarsal conjunctiva. Patient information collected included age, duration of lens wear, average daily lens wearing time, presence or absence of itching or mucus, refractive status, and atopic history. The tarsal conjunctiva was divided into three zones of equal size. Papillae were present in various zones and combinations of zones; however, papillae were never confined exclusively to either (1) the zone adjacent to the tarsal folds or (2) the latter zone in combination with the zone adjacent to the eyelid margin without also occurring in the intervening zone. The diameter of the papillae ranged from greater than 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm. The number of papillae per eyelid ranged from two to over 100. The apices of the papillae were frequently flattened and craterlike, and often stained with fluorescein.
Adult↗
Effect of contact lens wear on the conjunctival mucous system.
Biopsy specimens from the upper tarsal conjunctiva of 20 contact lens wearers with a clinically evident increase in mucus and ten non-lens wearing subjects were examined by light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy to determine the effect of contact lens wear on the mucous cell system(s). Three types of crypts associated with mucous secretion were found in all specimens: those with intracellular openings (type I, 0.1 to 0.2 mum) associated with non-goblet mucous secretory cells; those with small intercellular openings (type II, 1 to 2 mum) usually associated with goblet cells, and those with intraepithelial and intrastromal crypts with large intercellular openings (type III, 10 to 60 mum) lined with goblet and non-goblet mucous secretory cells. Contact lens wearers had increased numbers of non-goblet cells with mucous secretory vesicles lining the surface of the conjunctiva and the epithelial infoldings of type III crypts than did the normal subjects. We conclude that increased mucous secretion in contact lens wearers is associated with an increased number of cells and number of secretory vesicles involved in the non-goblet cell mucous system.
Conjunctiva↗