Vimentin and cytokeratin pattern in granular corneal dystrophy.
BACKGROUND
Corneal granular dystrophy is usually classified as a hereditary stromal disease of the cornea. Some investigations, however, have indicated an epithelial rather than a stromal origin of the granular deposits. In early stages and in recurrences of granular dystrophy after keratoplasty, the deposits are most often found in the upper microlayers of the cornea and even intraepithelially.


METHODS
In this study we tried to identify immunohistochemical epithelial markers in the corneal granular deposits.


RESULTS
A positive reaction with anti-cytokeratin 18 and polyclonal anti-vimentin were found both in the corneal epithelium and in the granular deposits.


CONCLUSIONS
The immunohistochemical findings support the hypothesis of an epithelial origin of the corneal deposits in granular dystrophy.
Wollensak
G
G
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Freiburg, Germany.
Witschel
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014746:Vimentin; D007633:Keratins