Abstract
Purpose: Here we investigate the role of donor endothelium on allograft rejection in a lamellar keratoplasty (LK) model using grafts with or without donor endothelium. Methods: Corneal buttons of donor C57BL/6 mice (2.0 mm) were transplanted to lamellar recipient beds (1.5 mm) in BALB/c mice. Two variations of the LK procedure were performed: (1) standard LK (SLK) (n = 13) without donor endothelium and (2) modified LK (MLK) (n = 14) with retained donor endothelium. The graft status was assessed by slit lamp biomicroscopy and scored for stromal opacity, corneal edema, neovascularization, and anterior chamber reaction up to 46 days post-transplantation. Corneas were also observed histologically. Results: The presence of a grafted corneal endothelium promoted graft rejection; 92.9% (13/14) of grafts were rejected in MLK after an average of 8.3 days, while 69.2% (9/13) of grafts were rejected in SLK on average 10.8 days after transplantation. The former's stromal opacity was significantly greater at all time points after day 14 except for day 21 (p = 0.77) and day 32 (p = 0.25). Corneal edema was significantly greater in the former at all time points after day 10 except for day 21 (p = 0.16). Neovascularization was significantly greater in the former at all time points after day 10 except for day 25 (p = 0.22). Conclusion: Variations of this model of LK may be useful for studies of immunological mechanisms in corneal transplantation. The donor corneal endothelium may serve as a target of the immune response which promotes inflammation, neovascularization, and graft rejection.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 128-134 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Ophthalmic Research |
Volume | 47 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2012 |
Keywords
- Corneal transplantation
- Endothelium
- Lamellar keratoplasty model
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ophthalmology
- Sensory Systems
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience