title: The epithelial barrier function in clear corneal grafts.
abstract: We conducted a corneal epithelial permeability study using a fluorophotometer on 93 eyes of 79 patients with clear corneal grafts. There were 45 males and 34 females, aged 61.6 +/- 10.2 years. All eyes received penetrating keratoplasty at least 1 year (mean 40.4 +/- 31.3 months) before examination. The normal fellow eyes of 65 subjects were examined as controls. The averaged corneal epithelial permeability of grafted corneas was significantly higher than that of controls (p < 0.001). In the 65 individuals having an otherwise healthy fellow eye, the grafted corneas were significantly more permeable than their control fellow eyes verified by paired t test (n = 65, p = 0.006). Concomitant corneal sensitivity test revealed a significantly hypesthetic cornea. These results show that in spite of a clinically normal clear graft, there is usually a subnormal epithelial barrier function and reinnervation, even years after corneal transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, ROC.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000502:physiology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000378:metabolism; D005470:Fluorometry; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005452:Fluoresceins; D019793:Fluorescein