PURPOSE To elucidate the status of the conjunctival inflammation in atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) using laser scanning confocal microscopy and compare the relevant findings with conjunctival brush cytology in a prospective controlled study. METHODS Twenty eyes from 20 AKC patients as well as 16 eyes from 16 age and sex matched normal subjects were studied. The subjects underwent tear film...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the conjunctival irritation (congestion, swelling, and discharge) of topical bimatoprost ophthalmic solution 0.01% and bimatoprost ophthalmic solution 0.03% in rabbits. METHODS Six healthy New Zealand White rabbits were treated with either bimatoprost 0.01% or bimatoprost 0.03% (3 animals/group). One dose (2 drops/dose) of stud...

PURPOSE To determine whether human conjunctival epithelium expresses any of the human mucin genes designated MUC2 through MUC7. METHOD Northern blot analysis was performed using total RNA isolated from surgically removed conjunctival tissues. Complementary DNA or oligonucleotides to the tandem repeat region of each mucin gene were labeled and hybridized to conjunctival RNA. In situ hybridizat...

The authors examined immunofluorescently the specific cytokeratin staining patterns of corneal, limbal, and conjunctival epithelium with PKK-1, 8.12, 4.62, and 8.60 monoclonal anticytokeratin antibodies. Observations were made on unfixed frozen postmortem human tissue. The PKK-1 antibody stain was observed in all layers of corneal epithelium but only in suprabasal layers of limbal and conjuncti...

PURPOSE The ocular surface is covered by two biologically distinct epithelia: corneal and conjunctival. The expression of keratin12 (K12) is currently considered a hallmark of cornea-type differentiation. In the current study, the biological features of K12-positive cells in human bulbar conjunctival epithelium were examined. METHODS Human conjunctival tissues were subjected to investigate th...

PURPOSE To compare the levels of conjunctival transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) between glaucoma and control patients and to determine conjunctival TGF-β levels before and 3 months after augmented primary trabeculectomy. METHODS Patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) or primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) admitted for mitomycin (MMC) augmented primary trabeculectomy due to f...

PURPOSE To characterize phenotypically the primary epithelial cells obtained from normal bulbar conjunctival biopsy specimens and a human conjunctival epithelial cell line (Wong-Kilbourne derivative of Chang conjunctiva; ChWK) with regard to their immunostimulatory function. METHODS The effects on expression of HLA-DR and costimulatory molecules (CD80, CD86, ICAM-1, and CD40) on normal conjun...

Secretory component (SC) was studied by indirect immunofluorescence of the ocular surface epithelium. We find that conjunctival epithelium produces this component, and that it is absent in the corneal epithelium. Conjunctival epithelium loses its SC staining within 1 to 2 days as it grows over a denuded corneal stroma. This implies a very rapid turn-off of the SC gene and rapid export of the ge...

Purpose We determine the effects of bevacizumab on collagen production in a mouse model of conjunctival scarring. Methods Experimental surgery was performed as described for the mouse model of conjunctival scarring, and bevacizumab was introduced by conjunctival injection. The capacity of bevacizumab to recognize conjunctival VEGF-A was determined by ELISA. Col1a1 was measured by real-time PC...

PURPOSE Thymosin-beta4 (Tbeta4) is a small actin-sequestrating peptide that modulates inflammation and healing in different tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular and biochemical expression of Tbeta4 in the healthy conjunctiva and in the conjunctiva of patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), a severe allergic eye disease characterized by chronic inflammation an...