Two-dimensional gel electrophoretic comparison of endothelial cell-Descemet's membrane proteins in Fuchs' dystrophy and normal corneas.

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to compare the proteins isolated from the combined corneal endothelial cell-Descemet's membrane complex of three pairs of corneas with Fuchs' dystrophy with three pairs of normal corneas. Normal or Fuchs' dystrophy endothelium and Descemet's membrane was documented by pathologic analysis of each cornea. Proteins were separated by isoelectric point in the first dimension and molecular weight in the second dimension. Over 300 proteins were resolved from each sample, and similar patterns were noted in both groups. No consistent differences were detected between the corneas with Fuchs' dystrophy and the normal corneas. Allelic variations of some proteins were detected in both groups.