Previous studies have reported the importance of CD4 + T cells in corneal allograft rejection in rodent models of keratoplasty, yet rejection occurred in 33 % to 64 % of the CD4 T cell - deficient hosts (12 — 14). (journals.lww.com)
The present findings are derived from studies using CD4KO mice and thus, raise the question as to whether the CD4 + T cell - independent immune mechanisms in CD4 KO mice differ from those involved in corneal allograft rejection in wild - type mice whose CD4 + T cells population have been depleted with monoclonal antibodies. (journals.lww.com)
Studies in CD8 knockout (KO) and perforin KO mice demonstrated that CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are unnecessary for the rejection of corneal allografts in mice (8, 9). (journals.lww.com)