Ando Ryo, Kase Satoru, Ohashi Tsutomu, Dong Zhenyu, Fukuhara Junichi, Kanda Atsuhiro, Murata Miyuki, Noda Kousuke, Kitaichi Nobuyoshi, Ishida Susumu
Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Mol Vis. 2011 Jan 8;17:63-9.
A pterygium shows tumor-like characteristics, such as proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Previous reports suggest that tissue factor (TF) expression is closely related to the EMT of tumor cells, and subsequent tumor development. In this study, we analyzed the expression and immunolocalization of TF in pterygial and normal conjunctival tissues of humans.
Eight pterygia and three normal bulbar conjunctivas, surgically removed, were used in this study. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues were submitted for immunohistochemical analysis with anti-TF antibody. Double staining immunohistochemistry was performed to assess TF and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in the pterygia.
Immunoreactivity for TF was detected in all pterygial tissues examined. TF immunoreactivity was localized in the cytoplasm of basal, suprabasal, and superficial epithelial cells. The number of TF-immunopositive cells in pterygial epithelial cells was significantly higher than in normal conjunctival epithelial cells (p<0.001). TF immunoreactivity was detected in α-SMA-positive or -negative pterygial epithelial cells. EGFR immunoreactivity was detected in pterygial epithelium, which was colocalized with TF.
These results suggest that TF plays a potential role in the pathogenesis and development of a pterygium, and that TF expression might be involved through EMT-dependent and -independent pathways.
翼状胬肉表现出肿瘤样特征，如增殖、侵袭和上皮-间质转化（EMT）。先前的报道表明，组织因子（TF）的表达与肿瘤细胞的EMT以及随后的肿瘤发展密切相关。在本研究中，我们分析了TF在人翼状胬肉组织和正常结膜组织中的表达及免疫定位。
本研究使用了手术切除的8例翼状胬肉和3例正常球结膜。将福尔马林固定、石蜡包埋的组织用抗TF抗体进行免疫组织化学分析。对翼状胬肉进行双重染色免疫组织化学，以评估TF和α-平滑肌肌动蛋白（α-SMA）或表皮生长因子受体（EGFR）的表达。
在所检查的所有翼状胬肉组织中均检测到TF免疫反应性。TF免疫反应性定位于基底、基底上层和表层上皮细胞的细胞质中。翼状胬肉上皮细胞中TF免疫阳性细胞的数量明显高于正常结膜上皮细胞（p<0.001）。在α-SMA阳性或阴性的翼状胬肉上皮细胞中均检测到TF免疫反应性。在翼状胬肉上皮中检测到EGFR免疫反应性，其与TF共定位。
这些结果表明，TF在翼状胬肉的发病机制和发展中起潜在作用，并且TF的表达可能通过EMT依赖性和非依赖性途径参与其中。
