title: Advanced glycation end products and receptors in Fuchs' dystrophy corneas undergoing Descemet's stripping with endothelial keratoplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the histopathologic features of Descemet's membrane (DM) obtained from Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) corneas undergoing Descemet's stripping with endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) and to assess the presence of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their receptors in FECD endothelium and DM.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five eyes of 5 patients undergoing DSEK for FECD and 4 normal control eyebank corneas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descemet's membrane and corneal endothelium from FECD patients undergoing DSEK were assessed with hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry for AGEs, receptor of AGEs (RAGE), and galectin 3 (AGE-R3).
  
  
  METHODS
  Histopathologic abnormalities and presence of AGEs, RAGE, and AGE-R3 in DSEK specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathologic assessment of DSEK specimens from FECD patients disclosed thickening and nodularity of DM and loss of endothelial cells. Immunohistochemical staining of FECD DM for AGE, RAGE, and AGE-R3 showed an abundance of AGEs in the anterior portion of DM, mild positivity for RAGE, and moderate positivity for AGE-R3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tissue quality after DSEK is sufficient to allow detailed histopathologic analysis. The presence of AGEs, RAGE, and AGE-R3 in DM and corneal endothelium of FECD patients supports a link between accumulation of AGEs, oxidative stress, and corneal endothelial cell apoptosis in the pathogenesis of FECD.
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Zhiyou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: W Richard
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: Albert S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jun
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D003886:Descemet Membrane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D005642:Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D037502:Galectin 3; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic