2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
9 Uveitis and Ocular Inflammation
Chapter 1: Basic Concepts in Immunology: Effector Cells and the Innate Immune Response
Triggers of Innate Immunity
Other Triggers or Modulators of Innate Immunity
Another form of innate immunity is the mechanism by which trauma or toxins interact directly with nonimmune ocular parenchymal cells—especially iris or ciliary body epithelium, retinal pigment epithelium, retinal Müller cells, or corneal or conjunctival epithelium. This interaction can result in the synthesis of a wide range of mediators, cytokines, and eicosanoids. For example, phagocytosis of staphylococci by corneal epithelium, microtrauma to the ocular surface epithelium by contact lenses, chafing of iris or ciliary epithelium by an intraocular lens (IOL), or laser treatment of the retina can stimulate ocular cells to produce mediators that assist in the recruitment of innate effector cells such as neutrophils or macrophages. See Clinical Example 1-3.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 9 - Uveitis and Ocular Inflammation. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.