Resident corneal c-fms+ macrophages and dendritic cells mediate early cellular infiltration in adenovirus keratitis

•Resident corneal myeloid derived cells recruit leukocytes early in adenovirus keratitis.•Adenovirus keratitis is diminished in dendritic and macrophage ablated MaFIA mice.•Both keratocytes and myeloid lineage cells in the corneal stroma play critical roles in the early innate immune responses to adenovirus corneal infection.

The cornea contains a heterogeneous population of antigen-presenting cells with the capacity to contribute to immune responses. Adenovirus keratitis is a severe corneal infection with acute and chronic phases. The role of resident corneal antigen-presenting cells in adenovirus keratitis has not been studied. We utilized transgenic MaFIA mice in which c-fms expressing macrophages and dendritic cells can be induced to undergo apoptosis, in a mouse model of adenovirus keratitis. Clinical keratitis and recruitment of myeloperoxidase and CD45+ cells were diminished in c-fms depleted, adenovirus infected mice, as compared to controls, consistent with a role for myeloid-lineage cells in adenovirus keratitis.