[Transdifferentiation of conjunctival epithelium after ocular surface rehabilitation through deep lamellar sclerokeratoplasty].
OBJECTIVE
The quality of the postoperative corneal epithelia of patients with severe ocular surface disorders, whose ocular surface had been reconstructed through deep lamellar sclerokeratoplasty (DLSKP) using allografts, was examined.


METHODS
Six eyes with ocular surface disorders in 6 patients who had received DLSKP were observed for periods of 2 years or longer (average: 3 years and 10 months). The rehabilitated corneal epithelium cells of some of these patients were analyzed with impression cytology and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis methods.


RESULTS
All 3 cases analyzed using the impression cytology method showed normal corneal epithelium cell forms. In the 2 cases analyzed also with the FISH analysis method, in which the hosts and donors were of the opposite gender, the cells were host-derived (99.3% and 98.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
It is considered that rehabilitation of severe ocular surface disorders using allograft epithelial transplantation procedures, including DL-SKP, is eventually concluded by transdifferentiation of the conjunctival epithelium cells derived from the host.
Goto
Shin
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan.
Sugata
Hirohisa
H
Kozakai
Mamoru
M
D000328:Adult; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000166:cytology*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012590:Sclera / Q000637:transplantation*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous