title: Observation on ultrastructure and histopathology of cornea following femtosecond laser-assisted deep lamellar keratoplasty for acute corneal alkaline burns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the changes in ultrastructure and histopathology of the cornea in acute corneal alkaline burns after femtosecond laser-assisted deep lamellar keratoplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  The New Zealand white rabbits treated with alkaline corneal burn were randomized into two groups, Group A (16 eyes) with femtosecond laser-assisted deep lamellar keratoplasty 24h after burn and Group B (16 eyes) without keratoplasty as controls. All eyes were evaluated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at 1, 2, 3, and 4wk follow-up, then all corneas were tested by hematoxylin and eosin staining histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The corneal grafts in Group A were transparent, while those in Group B showed corneal stromal edema and loosely arranged collagen fibers. One week after treatment, TEM revealed the intercellular desmosomes in the epithelial layers and intact non-dissolving nuclei in Group A. At week 4, the center of the corneas in Group A was transparent with regularly arranged collagen fibers and fibroblasts in the stroma. In Group B, squamous cells were observed on the corneal surface and some epithelial cells were detached.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Femtosecond laser-assisted deep lamellar keratoplasty can suppress inflammatory responses, prevent toxic substance-induced injury to the corneal endothelium and inner tissues with quicker recovery and better visual outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the 474th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Urumchi 830011, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Jing
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the 474th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Urumchi 830011, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Kun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the 309th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100000, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the 474th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Urumchi 830011, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the 474th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Urumchi 830011, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Xu-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the 474th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Urumchi 830011, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the 474th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Urumchi 830011, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the 474th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Urumchi 830011, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
keywords: alkali burn; cornea; deep lamellar keratoplasty; femtosecond laser; rabbit; transmission electron microscopy