树突状细胞在糖尿病角膜病变发生和发展中的作用

糖尿病角膜病变(DK)是糖尿病一种常见的眼部并发症。长期高血糖会对角膜的多个结构造成损害,降低角膜透明性,从而引起视功能障碍。目前糖尿病角膜上皮及神经病变的发病机制尚未完全明确。树突状细胞(DCs)是一类专职抗原提呈细胞,是机体固有免疫和适应性免疫之间的桥梁,其参与糖尿病及其并发症发生和发展的多个过程。目前DCs与DK的关系尚有许多问题有待解决,仅有少量研究集中于DCs与DK发生和发展的联系。本文就DK的发病机制及病理改变、DCs的分类及其功能特征、DCs与糖尿病角膜上皮慢性炎症和愈合延迟的关系、DCs在糖尿病角膜神经病变中的作用进行综述,以期为进一步研究该疾病的发病机制及制定有效的治疗策略提供新的思路。

Roles of dendritic cells in the occurrence and development of diabetic keratopathy

Diabetic keratopathy(DK)is a common ocular complication of diabetes.Long-term hyperglycemia impairs many structures of the cornea,leading to corneal opacity and visual dysfunction.A large number of researches focus on the epithelium and nerve abnormities in DK,but the pathogenesis is not completely elucidated.Dendritic cells(DCs)are specialized antigen-presenting cells,linking innate and adaptive immunity,participating in the occurrence and development of diabetes and its complications.To date,there are many myths in relationship between DCs and DK to be solved,and there are a few researches that investigate the relation between DCs and the occurrence and development of diabetes.In this article,the pathogenesis and pathogenic changes of DK,the types and functions of different DCs,the relationship between DCs and chronic inflammation and delayed healing of corneal epithelium in DK,as well as the role of DCs in corneal neuropathy were reviewed in order to provide some references for further investigations about the pathogenesis and treatment of DK.