title: Anterior lens epithelium in intumescent white cataracts - scanning and transmission electron microscopy study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to study the structure of the lens epithelial cells (LECs) of intumescent white cataracts (IC) in comparison with nuclear cataracts (NC) in order to investigate possible structural reasons for development of IC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The anterior lens capsule (aLC: basement membrane and associated LECs) were obtained from cataract surgery and prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed by SEM that in IC, LEC swelling was pronounced with the clefts surrounding the groups of LECs. Another structural feature was spherical formations, that were observed on the apical side of LEC's, towards the fibre cell layer, both by SEM and TEM. Development of these structures, bulging out from the apical cell membrane of the LEC's and disrupting it, could be followed in steps towards the sphere formation. The degeneration of the lens epithelium and the structures of the aLC in IC similar to Morgagnian globules were also observed. None of these structural changes were observed in NC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We show by SEM and TEM that, in IC, LECs have pronounced structural features not observed in NC. This supports the hypothesis that the disturbed structure of LECs plays a role in water accumulation in the IC lens. We also suggest that, in IC, LECs produce bulging spheres that represent unique structures of degenerated material, extruded from the LEC.
authors.affiliation: Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre, Grablovičeva 46, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Sofija
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andjelic
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Kazimir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Drašlar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Anastazija
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hvala
authors.affiliation: Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre, Grablovičeva 46, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia. marko.hawlina@mf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hawlina
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057866:Anterior Capsule of the Lens / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002386:Cataract / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Intumescent cataract; Lens epithelium; Nuclear cataract; Scanning electron microscopy; Transmission electron microscopy