title: Epithelial basement membrane proteins perlecan and nidogen-2 are up-regulated in stromal cells after epithelial injury in human corneas.
abstract: The epithelial basement membrane (BM) is a specialized extracellular matrix that has been shown to have a critical role in corneal development, wound healing, and disease. Although the epithelial BM contributes to corneal homeostasis, relatively little is know about non-epithelial production of its components that may be important in defective regeneration of the epithelial basement membrane associated with opacity after photorefractive keratectomy. The purpose of the current study was to investigate stromal production of corneal epithelial BM proteins in wounded human corneas using immunohistochemistry. A total of five unwounded control eyes and five 30-min epithelial-wounded corneas were obtained from fresh corneoscleral buttons removed from human eyes enucleated due to choroidal melanoma with normal anterior segments. In the wounded corneas, an eight mm patch of central corneal epithelium and epithelial BM was removed with a Beaver blade when the patient was under general anesthesia. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to detect perlecan and nidogen-2 proteins-important components of the epithelial BM lamina lucida and lamina densa zones. Perlecan and nidogen-2 proteins were detected in the BM itself and at low levels in keratocytes in all unwounded corneas. After epithelial injury, both perlecan and nidogen-2 were expressed at high levels in stromal keratocytes, including superficial keratocytes in the early phases of apoptosis. Thus, after epithelial and epithelial BM injury, stromal keratocytes contribute important perlecan and nidogen-2 components to the regenerating epithelial BM.
authors: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States; University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Andre A M
authors: AA
authors: Torricelli
authors: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.
authors: Gustavo K
authors: GK
authors: Marino
authors: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.
authors: Abirami
authors: A
authors: Santhanam
authors: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.
authors: Jiahui
authors: J
authors: Wu
authors: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.
authors: Arun
authors: A
authors: Singh
authors: Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States. Electronic address: wilsons4@ccf.org.
authors: Steven E
authors: SE
authors: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D060527:Corneal Keratocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000166:cytology; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000293:injuries*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014019:Tissue Donors; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C114729:NID2 protein, human; C071927:perlecan
keywords: Apoptosis; Cornea; Epithelial basement membrane; Haze; Keratocyte; Myofibroblast; Nidogen-2; Perlecan; Stroma; Wound healing