title: Cultivation and ultrastructural investigation of human iris pigment epithelial cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the human iris pigment epithelial cells cultivation in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The iris pigment epithelial cells were isolated by scraping directly or by enzyme digestion and cultured in vitro. The cells were observed under the transmission electron microscope and analyzed by means of immunohistochemical assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cells obtained by scraping were easier to grow and to be passaged than those obtained by enzyme digestion. The primary cells appeared multigonal and arranged in monolayer. Abundant pigment granules were in the cytoplasm and diminished in succeeding generations. The maculae occludentes and desmosomes and microvilli which were characteristics of epithelial cells could be found under the electronmicroscope. The immunohistochemical assay showed positive reaction of keratin antigen in cultured cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The human iris pigment epithelial cells could be cultured in vitro and the cells in primary generation some characteristics be preserved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical University, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhengjun
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Houren
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007498:Iris / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*