Vertical movement of epithelial basal cells toward the corneal surface during use of extended-wear contact lenses.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of extended contact lens wear (EW) on the movement of basal epithelial cells toward the corneal surface.


METHODS
Rabbits (n = 32) were injected with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label a group of proliferating basal epithelial cells, and, 24 hours later, one randomly chosen eye was fitted with a low- or medium-oxygen-transmissible (Dk/t) rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens, while the other eye served as the control (n = 28). Four rabbits were not fitted with any contact lens. Rabbits were euthanatized at different time points and the corneal epithelium was immunocytochemically stained for BrdU and/or Ki-67 and counterstained with propidium iodide or Syto 59. Corneal flatmount tissues were examined three dimensionally under a laser confocal microscope and the location of each BrdU-labeled cell in the corneal epithelium (basal or suprabasal) was determined.


RESULTS
Four days after injection of BrdU, both low- (P < 0.001) and medium-Dk/t RGP (P < 0.001) lens groups showed significantly more BrdU-labeled cells in the basal cell layer than in the control eyes. Six days after injection of BrdU, a small percentage of BrdU-labeled cells (<0.5%) were Ki-67 positive.


CONCLUSIONS
Within 6 days, the majority (80%) of BrdU-labeled basal cells became terminally differentiated and rarely divided secondarily in the central epithelium. Short-term use of low- and medium-Dk/t RGP EW contact lenses slows the normal movement of basal epithelial cells toward the surface in the central cornea. This is consistent with known EW-lens-induced decreases in corneal epithelial basal cell proliferation and surface cell exfoliation. Overall, the data suggest that EW lenses significantly inhibit the normal homeostatic turnover rate of the corneal epithelium.
Ladage
Patrick M
PM
Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75039-9057, USA.
Jester
James V
JV
Petroll
W Matthew
WM
Bergmanson
Jan P G
JP
Cavanagh
H Dwight
HD
D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D003262:Contact Lenses, Extended-Wear; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology*; D004261:DNA Replication; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D011817:Rabbits
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine