Confirmation of the presence of lens epithelial cells in the anterior chamber after phacoemulsification.
OBJECTIVE
To detect the presence of lens epithelial cells in the anterior chamber of the eye at the end of phacoemulsification.


METHODS
A prospective observational study was carried out on 50 patients undergoing phacoemulsification. Fluid from the anterior chamber was collected from these patients at the end of phacoemulsification. Thirty samples were processed for detection of viability using calcein AM-propidium iodide. Remaining samples were processed for immunofluorescence detection of alphaA-crystallin and vimentin. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test was applied.


RESULTS
The presence of lens epithelial cells was confirmed in 27 of the first 30 samples. The total number of cells observed in these 27 samples were 64.70 +/- 58.49. Within these 27 samples, 35.5% were live cells and 64.5% were dead. The cells were present as single cell or in groups. Twenty three percentage samples were also positive for nucleated lens fibres. In the remaining 20 samples, 89% cells were confirmed to be lens epithelial cells.


CONCLUSIONS
We show for the first time, the presence of cells in the fluid of the anterior chamber at the end of phacoemulsification. The cells were positive for alphaA-crystallin and vimentin, thereby suggesting that they were lens epithelial cells.
Vasavada
A
A
Raghudeep Eye Clinic, Iladevi Cataract and IOL Research Centre, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. icirc@abhayvasavada.com
Johar
K
K
Praveen
M
M
Nishi
O
O
D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D003459:Crystallins / Q000032:analysis; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis
C511246:CRYAA protein, human; D003459:Crystallins; D014746:Vimentin