Age-related changes of human lens epithelial cells in vivo.
We examined the density and morphology of lens epithelial cells (LECs) in vivo in a group of normal volunteers and cataract patients by using a newly developed noncontact specular microscope. There was a statistically significant decrease in the cell density of LECs in a group of cataract patients over the age of 80 years. The coefficient of variation of the cell area and the number of large black spots that were observed in the enhanced specular images were not related to aging or cataract formation. Our data indicate that the cell density of LECs decreases after reaching the age of 80, but cataract formation does not affect the cell density or the coefficient of variation of the cell area until the age of 80.
Oharazawa
H
H
Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. hideaki@nms.ac.jp
Ibaraki
N
N
Matsui
H
H
Ohara
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D048429:Cell Size; D002648:Child; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological / Q000295:instrumentation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000166:cytology*; D008875:Middle Aged