title: Recovery of Corneal Endothelial Cells from Periphery after Injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wound healing of the endothelium occurs through cell enlargement and migration. However, the peripheral corneal endothelium may act as a cell resource for the recovery of corneal endothelium in endothelial injury.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the recovery process of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) from corneal endothelial injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three patients with unilateral chemical eye injuries, and 15 rabbit eyes with corneal endothelial chemical injuries were studied. Slit lamp examination, specular microscopy, and ultrasound pachymetry were performed immediately after chemical injury and 1, 3, 6, and 9 months later. The anterior chambers of eyes from New Zealand white rabbits were injected with 0.1 mL of 0.05 N NaOH for 10 min (NaOH group). Corneal edema was evaluated at day 1, 7, and 14. Vital staining was performed using alizarin red and trypan blue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Specular microscopy did not reveal any corneal endothelial cells immediately after injury. Corneal edema subsided from the periphery to the center, CEC density increased, and central corneal thickness decreased over time. In the animal study, corneal edema was greater in the NaOH group compared to the control at both day 1 and day 7. At day 1, no CECs were detected at the center and periphery of the corneas in the NaOH group. Two weeks after injury, small, hexagonal CECs were detected in peripheral cornea, while CECs in mid-periphery were large and non-hexagonal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CECs migrated from the periphery to the center of the cornea after endothelial injury. The peripheral corneal endothelium may act as a cell resource for the recovery of corneal endothelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Ouk
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Korea; Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joon Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hyon
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Korea.
authors.forename: Yun-Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Won Ryang
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Young
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000503:physiopathology; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000503:physiopathology; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry / Q000379:methods; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*