Interleukin 17 expression in peripheral blood neutrophils from fungal keratitis patients and healthy cohorts in southern India.

Interleukin 17A (IL-17) production by peripheral blood neutrophils was examined in patients with fungal keratitis and in uninfected individuals in southern India, which has high levels of airborne Aspergillus and Fusarium conidia. Il17a gene expression and intracellular IL-17 were detected in all groups, although levels were significantly elevated in neutrophils from patients with keratitis. There were no significant differences in plasma IL-17 and IL-23 between patients with keratitis and uninfected individuals; however, combined data from all groups showed a correlation between the percentage IL-17 producing neutrophils and plasma IL-23, and between plasma IL-17 and IL-6 and IL-23.

Host response and bacterial virulence factor expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae corneal ulcers.

P. aeruginosa and S. pneumoniae are major bacterial causes of corneal ulcers in industrialized and in developing countries.

Expression of innate and adaptive immune mediators in human corneal tissue infected with Aspergillus or fusarium.

Background: Filamentous fungi of the genera Aspergillus and Fusarium are major causes of corneal ulcers in the United States and in the developing world and result in significant visual impairment and blindness.

Methods: RNA was extracted from 110 patients with corneal ulcers in southern India within 1 week of infection with either Fusarium solani or Aspergillus flavus, and gene expression was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Posttransplant corneas from later stage disease (>2 weeks after infection) were also examined.