title: Eviscerated Corneas as Tissue Source for Ex Vivo Expansion of Limbal Epithelial Cells on Platelet-Rich Plasma Gels.
abstract: Purpose/Aim of the study: To assess if corneal epithelium can be cultured ex vivo from corneas eviscerated due to irretrievable trauma, according to a cell culture method that made use of autologous platelet-rich plasma (A-PRP) as culture substrate. To compare corneal epithelium cultured ex vivo from corneas eviscerated following trauma using A-PRP combined with Dulbecco's modified Eagles medium (DMEM), versus DMEM alone.
  
  
  
  This was a laboratory case-controlled study of human corneal cells cultured in a mixture of A-PRP and DMEM, versus DMEM alone from six eviscerated corneas. A 100 explants were created, of which 50 explants were plated on A-PRP-gel construct combined with DMEM and 50 controls were placed in serum-free DMEM alone. Donor patients received systemic antibiotics prior to evisceration.
  
  
  
  Confluent epithelium in monolayers could be cultured when donor limbal biopsies were placed in a mixture of A-PRP culture medium and DMEM. No growth was observed when corneas were placed in serum-free DMEM medium only (p < 0.05). No bacterial infection was observed in cultures.
  
  
  
  This study demonstrated that A-PRP is a viable and effective alternative to bovine serum for the ex vivo expansion of limbal epithelial cells. It also shows that eviscerated corneas are a viable source of donor tissue for this purpose in South Africa where access to tissue banks is limited.
authors.affiliation: a Moorsfield Eye Hospital , London , UK.
authors.forename: Leonard G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Heydenrych
authors.affiliation: b University of Stellenbosch , Faculty of Medicine, Division of Anatomy, Department of Biomedical Sciences , Parow, Cape Town , South Africa.
authors.forename: Donald F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: du Toit
authors.affiliation: c Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, Department of Genetics , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
authors.forename: Colleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Aldous
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005782:Gels / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005782:Gels
keywords: Culture; epithelium; eviscerated cornea; no animal products; platelet-rich plasma