Purpose: We recently found that loss of anterior chamber-associated immune deviation was associated with normal pregnancy in rabbits. The purpose of this study is to further investigate whether the same events occurred in nonhuman primates.
Methods: Mid-pregnant cynomolgus monkeys were randomly selected. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was inoculated in anterior chamber of eyes of nonpregnant and mid-pregnant monkeys that were subsequently immunized with BSA in adjuvant. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) was assessed by skin challenge.
Results: Non-pregnant monkeys of intracameral BSA proved able to acquire antigen-specific suppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity. By contrast, inoculation of BSA to anterior chamber of pregnant monkeys abolished the DTH-suppression effect.
Conclusions: This is the first demonstration in primates that loss of anterior chamber-associated immune deviation occurred during normal pregnancy. The fluctuations of systemic hormone levels during normal pregnancy might influence local immunoregulation within the eye.