Antibody Formation in Rabbit Eye Studied with Huorescein-Labeled Antibody

Abstract

Previous experimental work with Leptospira pomona infection in the rabbit eye indicates that antibody formation takes place locally and is related to the infiltration of the uveal tissue by plasma cells and lymphocytes. This concept is based on the observations that the antibody content of the gamma-globulin of the aqueous humor ("antibody activity") in local infection was higher than the activity of the serum and that the amount of local antibody activity was roughly correlated with the degree of plasma cell infiltration of the uveal tissue.¹ The following study was undertaken to determine whether plasma cells are responsible for antibody production in the uveal tissue of the inflamed eye. Coons and coworkers² have shown that antibodies within cells can be made visible by a variation of their method, using fluorescein-labeled antibody. Frozen sections of tissues containing antibody are dipped in a dilute solution of homologous antigen, then carefully