Fig. 3.

IELs dynamically patrol the corneal epithelium and are responsive to inflammatory stimuli. (A) Sequential time-lapsed images acquired over 40 min, with four individual cells noted (triangles labeled 1 to 4). Individual cell tracks and a color time-lapsed merge are also shown. The scale bar applies to all images. (B) Cell densities were similar in the central and paracentral cornea, and in control (n = 16 people), untreated allergy (n = 10 people), and treated allergy (n = 4 people; open triangles represent individuals treated with immunotherapy [n = 2], and closed triangles represent individuals treated with corticosteroids [n = 2]) eyes (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). (C) Cell density in the central and paracentral corneal regions was moderately correlated (R² = 0.43, P < 0.0001). (D) Mean instantaneous cell speed was significantly higher in individuals with untreated allergy (n = 41 cells), relative to speeds evident in both healthy control (n = 65 cells) and treated allergy (n = 24 cells) eyes. (E) The mean arrest coefficient was significantly lower in individuals with untreated allergy, relative to both healthy control and treated allergy eyes. (F) After short-term CL wear, there were significantly fewer cells in the paracentral corneal epithelium relative to pre-CL levels. Post-CL wear, cells showed a faster mean instantaneous speed (G), lower arrest coefficient (H), higher displacement speed (I), higher meandering index (J), and higher linearity of forward progression (K). Individual cell tracks prior to CL wear (pre-CL) (L), and after 3 h of CL wear (post-CL) (M), after normalization of starting positions to the origin. Data are plotted as mean ± SD. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01.