Using a previously described murine heterotopic corneal allograft model, we examined the roles of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in corneal allograft rejection. We have previously shown that normal C57BL/6 mice consistently reject heterotopic corneal allografts within 14 days of grafting. These hosts develop antigen-specific CTL responses but no evidence o...

PURPOSE Surgery to reconstruct the ocular surface is greatly facilitated by the use of amniotic membrane, either as a biologic drape or, more recently, as a substrate for the transplantation of cultivated corneal epithelial cells. This study was designed to compare the usefulness of intact and denuded human amniotic membranes as a substrate for corneal epithelial cell culture. METHODS Small (...

AIM To determine the epithelial phenotype in rabbits with total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) after reconstruction with autologous limbal epithelial stem cells ex vivo expanded on rabbit amniotic membrane (AM). METHODS Left eyes of 52 rabbits were rendered total LSCD, verified by impression cytology. The fibrovascular pannus of each cornea was removed. Group I (n = 10) received rabbit AM...

PURPOSE To evaluate the results of sutureless amniotic membrane (AM) transplantation using fibrin glue for reconstructing corneal surfaces with partial limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). DESIGN Retrospective noncomparative interventional case series. METHODS Eleven eyes of nine patients that had LSCD with 120 degrees to almost 360 degrees of limbal involvement underwent superficial keratec...

PURPOSE To determine the corneal regenerative capacity of sequentially generated primary, secondary, and tertiary limbal explant outgrowths in a limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) surgical model. METHODS Two-millimeter-long limbal shallow biopsies were surgically excised from the upper quadrant of the right eye of rabbits and set on preserved amniotic membrane for explant culture. After the g...

PURPOSE To determine factors affecting the outcome of corneal surface reconstruction in rabbits with total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), by using autologous limbal epithelial stem cells (LSC) ex vivo, expanded on rabbit amniotic membrane (AM). METHODS Left eyes of 52 rabbits were rendered totally limbal stem cell deficient by n-heptanol debridement of the entire corneal epithelium follo...

BACKGROUND The limbal relaxing incisions (LRIs) technique is a safe and an inexpensive procedure, which is simple for experts to perform. It can effectively reduce astigmatism and result in a rapid visual rehabilitation. But there are few reports about reducing pre-existing corneal astigmatism by LRI in ICL surgery. Our research was aimed to study the effect of limbal relaxing inci sions during...

PURPOSE To investigate the clinical outcomes of cultivated corneal limbal epithelial transplantation (CLET) using human amniotic membrane for corneal limbal stem-cell deficiency. METHODS Prospective, noncomparative case series. Eighteen patients (19 eyes) with severe ocular surface diseases were chosen to undergo CLET using human amniotic membrane. Twelve eyes received auto-CLET, and seven ey...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES The ocular surface is an ideal region to study the epithelial stem cell (SC) biology because of the unique spatial arrangement of stem cells and transient amplifying cells. A major challenge in corneal SC biology is the ability to identify SC in vitro and in situ, and one of the major controversies in the field relates to reliable SC markers. This study was carried out t...

PURPOSE To evaluate in vitro the effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the differentiation of mouse corneal limbal progenitor cells into goblet cells and to observe the expression of mucin-5AC (MUC5AC) mRNA. METHODS Mouse limbal epithelial cells were cultured in a 1:1 mixture of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/Ham's nutrient mixture F12 in vitro, and 63-kDa protein (p63) in cultured cells...