A 62-year-old female visited our clinic with progressively decreased vision in both eyes beginning 12 years prior. Idiopathic corneal opacity in all layers of the cornea was found in both eyes. One year later, we performed penetrating keratoplasty on the undiagnosed right eye. During post-surgical follow-up, corneal edema and stromal opacity recurred, and penetrating keratoplasty was performed ...

BACKGROUND To examine the corneal epithelial phenotype in an altered basement membrane. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Corneas from 9 patients with symptoms of continuous unstable corneal curvature (CUCC) were harvested by penetrating keratoplasty and subjected to histology examination and immunohistochemical staining with transactivating and N-terminally truncated pP63 transcript (ΔNp63), cy...

Background/Objective: Hyperphosphatemia is the consequence of end stage renal failure. Inadequate control of serum phosphorus results in elevated Ca×P product with subsequent soft tissue deposition in the form of conjunctival and corneal calcification.  In this study, we evaluated the relationship of conjunctival and corneal calcification with secondary hyperparathyroidism in hemodialysis patie...

PURPOSE Acanthamoeba trophozoites express a mannose binding receptor that facilitates adhesion of trophozoites to mannosylated proteins on corneal epithelial cells. This study was undertaken to determine the role that mannose stimulation has in the amoeba's growth, secreted products, and ability to desquamate the corneal epithelium. METHODS Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites were grown in ...

PURPOSE To investigate the effects of corneal fibroblasts on the differentiation of corneal epithelial cells in a coculture system based on a collagen vitrigel membrane. METHODS Simian virus 40-transformed human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells and human corneal fibroblasts were cultured on opposite sides of a collagen vitrigel membrane. The distribution of HCE cells and corneal fibroblasts on ...

Lack of interleukin-6 (IL-6) during Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal infection leads to more severe disease with changes in neutrophil recruitment. Exogenous IL-6 leads to increased efficiency of neutrophil recruitment and reduced bacterial loads in corneal infection in both IL-6 gene knockout and wild-type mice. This may be mediated by IL-6 increasing the production of corneal macrophage inflamm...

Background: Correlations between bone marrow, heart, kidney, liver, skin and lung transplant rejection or survival with human cytokine gene polymorphisms have been described. There are also reports about the role of cytokines and Tumor Necrosis Factors-Alpha (TNF-α) on corneal transplant in animal models. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of cytokines in corneal allograft rejection...

Limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) are tissue-specific stem cells responsible for renewing the corneal epithelium. Acute trauma or chronic disease affecting LESCs may disrupt corneal epithelial renewal, causing vision threatening and painful ocular surface disorders, collectively referred to as LESC deficiency (LESCD). These disorders cannot be treated with traditional corneal transplantation...

Corneal transplantation rejection remains a major threat to the success rate of high-risk patients. Given many side effects presented by traditional immunosuppressants, there is an urgency clarify mechanism corneal and identify new therapeutic targets. Kaempferol natural flavonoid that has been proven in various studies possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, neuroprotective propert...

PURPOSE To examine the expression of transforming growth factor family members bone morphogenic proteins 2 and 4 (BMP2, BMP4), their receptor mRNAs, and BMP2 and BMP4 proteins in the cells of the human cornea. The effects of BMP2 and BMP4 on corneal fibroblast proliferation and apoptosis were also examined. METHODS Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunoprecipitation, and west...