[Molecular mechanism of pathological keratinization in severe ocular surface diseases].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the molecular mechanism of pathological keratinization in severe ocular surface diseases based on the process of epidermal physiological keratinization and the gene expression profile of ocular surface epithelium.


METHODS
We examined conjunctiva covering corneas which had ocular surface diseases in which pathological keratinization was seen. We then investigated the expression of epidermal keratinization-related proteins and clusterin, which is the most abundant gene transcript in human corneal epithelium.


RESULTS
Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry showed that transglutaminase 1, involucrin, filaggrin, and cytokeratin 1/10 expression was upregulated in keratinized conjunctiva compared to normal conjunctiva. On the other hand, the level of clusterin expression in the diseased ocular surfaces was significantly lower than normal. We also concluded that clusterin expression may depend on the severity of the pathological keratinization.


CONCLUSIONS
Various keratinization-related proteins and clusterin are most likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of cicatrizing ocular surface diseases.
Nakamura
Takahiro
T
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan.
D051152:Clusterin; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000032:analysis*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000032:analysis
C495242:CLU protein, human; D051152:Clusterin; C000717249:FLG protein, human; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D011498:Protein Precursors; C032253:involucrin; D007633:Keratins; D011503:Transglutaminases; C105804:transglutaminase 1