title: Changes of scleral sulfated proteoglycans in three cases of nanophthalmos.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the composition of scleral sulfated proteoglycans in three nanophthalmic eyes by electron microscopic histochemistry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scleral tissues from three cases of nanophthalmos were collected from the Niigata University Hospital for transmission electron microscopic examination. Sulfated proteoglycans were studied using the cuprolinic blue (CB) dye binding method in conjunction with enzymatic digestion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the controls, the nanophthalmic sclerae were much thicker, and the collagen fibrils showed a less orderly arrangement. Twisting or fraying of collagen fibrils was noted in some areas, and fine fibrous materials surrounded the abnormal fibrils. CB-positive proteoglycan filaments were found around the collagen fibrils and in the fine fibrous materials in the nanophthalmic specimens. The number of proteoglycan filaments was smaller than that in the normal specimens. After enzymatic digestion, the CB-positive filaments were identified as dermatan/chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. Although the number of dermatan sulfate filaments in nanophthalmos sclerae was similar to that in the controls, there were many fewer chondroitin sulfate filaments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A loss of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan was observed in nanophthalmic sclerae. The alteration may be related to the abnormal organization of collagen fibrils and the onset of uveal effusion.
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan. tfuku@med.niigata-u.ac.jp.|Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan. tfuku@med.niigata-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Tokuhide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abe