异种角膜片层间植入的组织相容性及形态学研究

采用层间囊袋分离法在２８只兔眼角膜上行角膜层间植入术，植片由人尸体角膜制成，最后进行观察并取得结果的２３只，术后观察３个月，角膜保持透明，形态学的主要特点是植片内角膜细胞缺如，内皮细胞形态结构未见明显影响，提示人眼角膜植片与兔眼角膜具有较好的组织相容性，为非人类角膜材料的应用提供了初步的经验与依据。     

正常角膜基质细胞密度和角膜厚度的研究

目的观察Confoscan 2.0共焦显微镜下正常活体角膜影像表现,测量基质细胞密度与各层厚度.方法检查34例(48眼)正常人.记录图像,并计算基质细胞密度和各层厚度.结果基质细胞密度从前到后逐渐降低,前基质比后基质细胞密度明显增高(t=-9.016,P=0.000),Bowman膜下密度最高,为(1113.2±227)个/mm2.全基质细胞密度为(806.5±57)个/mm2.角膜中央厚度为(568.3±53.8)μm,基质层为(465.5±60.2)μm,上皮层为(58.5±20.4)μm.各层厚度均与全基质细胞密度无显著相关性(P＞0.05).结论Confoscan 2.0共焦显微镜能检测角膜基质细胞密度和各层厚度.     

腺相关病毒-1介导增强型绿色荧光蛋白基因在大鼠角膜基质细胞体内外转染的研究

目的:探讨血清1型腺相关病毒(rAAV1)介导增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)基因体内、外转染大鼠角膜基质细胞后绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)的表达及转染率。方法:采用携带绿色荧光蛋白报告基因的血清1型腺相关病毒(rAAV1-EGFP)感染原代培养的SD大鼠角膜基质细胞,通过荧光显微镜和流式细胞仪观察和检测EGFP的表达及阳性率。建立大鼠异体角膜移植模型,用含rAAV1-EGFP转染液的培养基在37℃孵育SD大鼠角膜植片同时浸泡缝线18h,再用此缝线间断缝合,将植片移植到大鼠角膜植床,术后通过荧光体视镜观察Wistar大鼠角膜出现EGFP荧光的起始时间及分布情况。结果:按rAAV1-EGFP不同转染倍数(MOI)转染角膜基质细胞。转染后3d,在倒置荧光显微镜下观察到角膜基质细胞的细胞质有GFP阳性表达。体视荧光显微镜观察到大鼠角膜中开始有GFP阳性表达;随MOI值的增高而增强,转染后7~9d达到高峰,此时检测rAAV1-EGFP对角膜基质细胞的转染效率,MOI=103时是16.3%,MOI=104时是30.3%,MOI=105时是43.6%,MOI=106时是47.5%。rAAV1-EGFP在大鼠角膜中的表达也明显增强。结论:rAAV1-EGFP可以在体内外稳定、有效转染大鼠角膜基质细胞,是角膜基质细胞理想的报告基因。     

In vivo corneal confocal microscopy in keratoconus

PURPOSE: To evaluate the corneas of keratoconic subjects using in vivo confocal microscopy. METHODS: Slit scanning confocal microscopy was used to evaluate the central cornea of one eye of each of 29 keratoconic subjects (mean age 31 +/- 10 years; range 16-49 years). Quantitative aspects of corneal morphology were compared against data from control subjects. RESULTS: Compared with normal control corneas, epithelial wing cell nuclei were larger (p < 0.0001) and epithelial basal cell diameter was larger (p < 0.05) in the keratoconic cornea. Many of the keratoconic corneas investigated showed increased levels of stromal haze and reflectivity, which appeared to be related to the presence of apical scarring on slit lamp examination. A grading scale was devised to quantify the levels of haze. This scale was shown to provide a measure of the level of scarring present. The anterior keratocyte density (AKD) and posterior keratocyte density were 19% lower (p < 0.0001) and 10% lower (p = 0.004) than in controls, respectively. The reduction in AKD was significantly associated with three factors: a history of atopy, eye rubbing and the presence of corneal staining. The mean endothelial cell density in keratoconus was 6% greater than that of normal controls (p = 0.05). The level of endothelial polymegethism was shown not to be different between keratoconic subjects and matched controls (paired t-test: t = 1.82, p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: Confocal microscopy demonstrates significant quantitative alterations of corneal morphology in keratoconus.     

Early corneal changes in vitamin A deficient rats

Corneas of retinol deficient rats maintained on low levels of retinoic acid in a conventional laboratory environment and corneas from retinol deficient rats receiving no retinoic acid or retinoic acid for 5 weeks and kept in a germ free environment have been examined for structural abnormalities before the onset of apparent xerophthalmia. All groups of deficient rats showed abnormally large numbers of exfoliating cells, increased density of keratofibrils throughout the epithelial layer, decreased glycogen content, deposits of electron dense particles in the basal lamina region and accumulation of electron dense bodies in the keratocytes. These changes probably occurred as a primary effect of vitamin A deficiency. However, the absence of neovascularization and inflammation of the corneal stroma in the germ free rats, suggests that these changes may be secondary, perhaps due to infection.     

Effects of riboflavin/UVA corneal cross‐linking on keratocytes and collagen fibres in human cornea

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of corneal cross‐linking on keratocytes and collagen fibres in human corneas. Methods: Fifteen corneal buttons were examined. Ten were from patients with keratoconus submitted to penetrating keratoplasty and five of them were treated with cross‐linking 6 months before penetrating keratoplasty. Five normal corneal buttons from healthy donors were used as controls. All samples were prepared for TUNEL assay and Western blot analysis for the detection of keratocyte apoptosis and immunohistochemical analysis for the morphological evaluation of keratocytes and collagen fibre diameter. Results: Normal corneas exhibited no TUNEL‐positive keratocytes and keratoconic and cross‐linked corneas showed moderate apoptotic cells mainly in the anterior part of the stroma. This apoptotic trend was confirmed by the cleavage of poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase assessed using Western blot. The Ki‐67 staining showed a significant increase in the keratocyte proliferation in cross‐linked corneas compared with normal and keratoconus. In cross‐linked corneas CD34‐positive keratocytes were regularly distributed throughout the whole corneal stroma as in the control, and keratoconus was associated with patchy loss of immunoreactivity. The immunohistochemical analysis of collagen type I showed a significant increase in fibre diameter of cross‐linked corneas compared with control and keratoconus. Conclusion: Corneal cross‐linking leads to keratocyte damage; after 6 months a repopulation by proliferating cells, a distribution of CD34‐positive keratocytes as in control and an increase in collagen fibre diameter were observed. These modifications are the morphological correlate of the process leading to an increase in biomechanical stability.     

Corneal response to femtosecond laser photodisruption in the rabbit

In this report we evaluated the effect of femtosecond laser energy on the development of corneal haze and keratocyte activation in rabbits following intra-stromal photodisruption to create LASIK flaps using a modified commercial femtosecond surgical laser. Three groups of flap parameters were studied: 1.5 microJ/pulse with 10 microm spot separation and complete side cut (Group 1); 3.5 microJ/pulse with 14 microm spot separation and complete side cut (Group 2); 3.5 microJ/pulse with 14 microm spot separation and partial (50 microm) side cut (Group 3). All flaps were left attached without lifting to avoid epithelial contamination. Rabbits were then evaluated pre- and post-operatively by quantitative in vivo and ex vivo confocal microscopy. The achieved flap thickness 1 week after surgery averaged 88.9+/-12.8, 90.8+/-6.9 and 86.5+/-6.8 microm for Groups 1-3 respectively (p=NS). Interface thickness was significantly greater (p<0.05) in the higher energy groups averaging 40.0+/-11.2 and 37.7+/-5.7 microm for Groups 2-3 compared to 28.6+/-4.5 microm for Group 1. Corneal haze was barely detectible and not significantly different between groups, although haze was detected in the region of the side-cuts in Groups 1 and 2. No clinically significant changes in stromal or epithelial thickness were noted. Laser confocal microscopy showed the presence of small diameter cells within the flap interface that resided within disrupted regions of the corneal collagen lamellae. Keratocyte activation was only detected in regions of the 100% side cut and not over the flap interface. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that photodisruption of the corneal stroma alone without flap elevation regardless of laser energy does not induce significant corneal haze in the rabbit. However, a thicker stromal interface was seen with the higher energy suggesting greater stromal damage.