title: Role of the Endothelial Layer in the Deswelling Process of Organ-Cultured Human Corneas Before Transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Before corneal transplant surgery, a deswelling process of organ-cultured corneas is required. This study compares the deswelling kinetics of corneas with an intact endothelial cell layer and disrupted or removed endothelium by measuring central corneal thickness (CCT) over time using anterior segment spectral domain optical coherence tomography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten donor pairs were cultured in organ culture. The right and left corneas were alternately assigned to one of 2 deswelling groups. Deswelling in the first group [endothelial group (EG)] was induced using a medium with dextran 5%. Corneas of the second group [nonendothelial group (NEG)] were deprived of their endothelial cell layer by trypsinization and were then placed in the same deswelling medium. CCT (mean ± SD) was measured by anterior segment spectral domain optical coherence tomography before deswelling (0 hours) and after 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 144 hours. Deswelling kinetics was analyzed through the nonlinear platform in SAS/JMP11 Pro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before deswelling, CCT was 1071.0 μm (±129.6 μm) and 1133.8 μm (±124.3 μm) in the EG and NEG, respectively. Minimum corneal thickness was obtained after 24 hours in the EG (531.9 ± 47.5 μm) and 6 hours in the NEG (645 ± 81.2 μm). CCT was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the NEG than EG after more than 6 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corneal dehydration after organ culture seems to be a multifactorial process, which not only depends on osmotic effects of the deswelling compound but also requires the presence of an intact endothelial cell layer.
authors.affiliation: University Eye-Clinic and Corneal Eye Bank, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne Christine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Schnitzler
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salla
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamsley
authors.forename: Ansgar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flammersfeld
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fuest
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002470:Cell Survival; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D003646:Debridement; D003911:Dextrans / Q000494:pharmacology; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans