title: Expression of α-crystallin in the retina of human sympathetic ophthalmia.
abstract: Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a bilateral, granulomatous, intraocular inflammation that occurs following a penetrating injury to one eye, and has the potential to cause blindness of both eyes. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of α-crystallin and to detect apoptotic cells in the retina of human eyes with SO. Five globes, including three with SO and two age-matched normal appearing retinae, were examined. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were submitted to hematoxylin and eosin staining and immuno-histochemistry with anti-αA and αB-crystallin antibodies. Apoptotic cells were detected using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method, and double-staining immunohistochemistry was conducted together with the TUNEL reaction. In normal-appearing retina, αA-crystallin immunoreactivity was predominantly detected in the cytoplasm of photoreceptors, where αB-crystallin was less marked. In SO globes, granulomatous inflammation was noted in the choroid, whereas the retina and choriocapillaris were preserved. Immunoreactivity for αA-crystallin was detected in the retina, as well as in the cytoplasm and inner/outer photoreceptor segments. By contrast, αB-crystallin was weakly noted in the SO retina. Double-staining immuno-histochemistry revealed no TUNEL-positive photoreceptors in the retina displaying high immunoreactivity for αA-crystallin, but photoreceptor apoptosis was noted where expression of αA-crystallin was relatively low. The present study demonstrated that αA-crystallin was up-regulated in the cytoplasm of photoreceptors in the SO retina. This may play a protective role in the suppression of photoreceptor apoptosis associated with intraocular inflammation.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan. kaseron@med.hokudai.ac.jp
authors: Satoru
authors: S
authors: Kase
authors: Beeran B
authors: BB
authors: Meghpara
authors: Susumu
authors: S
authors: Ishida
authors: Narsing A
authors: NA
authors: Rao
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D009879:Ophthalmia, Sympathetic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism*; D038202:alpha-Crystallin A Chain / Q000378:metabolism; D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain / Q000378:metabolism; D038201:alpha-Crystallins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D038202:alpha-Crystallin A Chain; D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain; D038201:alpha-Crystallins