title: Expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha, TGF-beta(2) and interleukin 8 messenger RNA in postsurgical and cultured lens epithelial cells obtained from patients with senile cataracts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Testing our hypothesis that residual lens epithelial cells (LEC) participate in the pseudophakic inflammation by producing cytokines, prostaglandins (PG) or both, we detected interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, b-FGF and PGE(2) in the incubation medium of cultured LEC. This paper describes our subsequent work on the expression of TGF-alpha, TGF-beta(2), IL-4 and IL-8 mRNA in postsurgical and cultured LEC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The anterior lens capsule with attached LEC was obtained by anterior capsulotomy during cataract surgery and cultured. Specimens in serum-free medium immediately after surgery or those in serum-added medium after 2 weeks of culture were used. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and electrophoresis were used to detect mRNA coding for TGF-alpha, TGF-beta(2), IL-4 and IL-8 in human cataract LEC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Electrophoresis of the PCR products showed that appropriately sized amplification products were specific for TGF-alpha and TGF-beta(2) in the specimens immediately after surgery and after culturing, and IL-8 in the cultured LEC. IL-4 was not detected in either group of specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Human cataract LEC synthesize TGF-alpha and TGF-beta(2) mRNA in situ and after culturing, and the cultured LEC also synthesize IL-8 mRNA. These cytokines may be synthesized by LEC in vitro and play an important role in an autocrine or paracrine manner in the proliferative process of LEC after cataract surgery, which can cause inflammation and aftercataract.
authors.affiliation: Nishi Eye Hospital, 4-14-26, Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-0025. Japan, okihiro@nishi-ganka.or.jp
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohmoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D016209:Interleukin-8; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D015847:Interleukin-4