title: [Screening of myopic LASIK patients with increased epithelial wound healing].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wound healing of the cornea is critical for the refractive outcome of myopic laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). As epidermal growth factor (EGF) is important for the origin of epithelial hyperplasia, this study examined preoperative EGF mRNA concentrations in the corneal epithelial cells to detect patients with increased epithelial wound healing response.
  
  
  METHODS
  The epithelium was biopsied before LASIK in 35 eyes with myopia of -10.0 D. The EGF mRNA concentration in the epithelial cells was quantified by polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked oligosorbent assay, and the correlation with postoperative refraction at 6 months was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All eyes were around emmetropia 3 weeks after the surgery. At 6 months postoperatively 27 eyes were within +/- 1.0 D of emmetropia while 8 showed regression of 2.0-4.0 D. Higher EGF mRNA levels were found in eyes with regression than in eyes with postoperative emmetropia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative EGF mRNA concentration in the corneal epithelial cells may be an indicator of postoperative refractive outcome of myopic LASIK and offers a new possibility for pharmaceutical manipulation.
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Augenklinik, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee, 93042 Regensburg. chris.lohmann@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lohmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Winkler von Mohrenfels
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Reischl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Guell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009216:Myopia / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor