Ebihara N, Watanabe Y, Nakayasu K, Kanai A
Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2001 May-Jun;45(3):209-15. doi: 10.1016/s0021-5155(01)00328-8.
We investigated the expression of laminin-5 and integrins, and the ultrastructure of the interface between basal cells and the basement membrane in the keratoconus cornea. These findings were compared to those in normal central cornea and limbus.
Frozen sections of the normal cornea (center and limbus) and the keratoconus cornea were immunostained with monoclonal antibodies against three chains of laminin-5 and integrins. To investigate the ultrastructure of the interface between basal cells and the underlying stroma, we used transmission electron microscopy.
As compared to those in the normal central cornea, immunostaining patterns of the three chains of laminin-5 were thick and irregular in the keratoconus cornea and the normal limbus. Using electron microscopy analysis, the same characteristic structure of the interface between basal cells and the underlying stroma was recognized in the keratoconus cornea and the normal limbus. The expression of integrin alpha(6)beta(4) was restricted to the basal aspect of basal cells in the normal cornea. In the keratoconus cornea, however, integrin alpha(6)beta(4) was expressed in all aspects in basal and suprabasal cells. CONCLUSION The expression patterns of laminin-5 and the ultrastructure of the interface between basal cells and the basement membrane in the keratoconus cornea were similar to those in the normal limbus.
我们研究了圆锥角膜中层粘连蛋白-5和整合素的表达，以及基底细胞与基底膜之间界面的超微结构。将这些结果与正常中央角膜和角膜缘的结果进行比较。
用针对层粘连蛋白-5和整合素三条链的单克隆抗体对正常角膜（中央和角膜缘）和圆锥角膜的冰冻切片进行免疫染色。为了研究基底细胞与下方基质之间界面的超微结构，我们使用了透射电子显微镜。
与正常中央角膜相比，圆锥角膜和正常角膜缘中层粘连蛋白-5三条链的免疫染色模式厚且不规则。通过电子显微镜分析，在圆锥角膜和正常角膜缘中识别出基底细胞与下方基质之间界面的相同特征结构。整合素α(6)β(4)的表达在正常角膜中仅限于基底细胞的基底部分。然而，在圆锥角膜中，整合素α(6)β(4)在基底细胞和基底上层细胞的所有方面均有表达。结论圆锥角膜中层粘连蛋白-5的表达模式以及基底细胞与基底膜之间界面的超微结构与正常角膜缘相似。
