ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Purpose: To investigate human beta-defensins (HBDs) and cathelicidin LL-37 (LL-37) expressions in patients with pterygium. Methods: In this retrospective consecutive case series, 26 pterygium specimens and 15 normal conjunctival specimens of 15 control subjects were in vestigated. Expressions of HBD-1, HBD-2, HBD-3, and LL-37 were assessed using immuno histochemical staining. A brown color in the cytoplasm and/or nuclei of epithelial cells indicated positive staining for HBDs and LL-37. For each antibody, the intensity of the reaction (negative [-], weak [1+], moderate [2+], or strong [3+]) was determined to describe the immunoreactions. Results: The median age was 52 years in both groups. There were no significant differences in age and sex between the groups (p=0.583, p=0.355, respectively). Of the 26 pterygium specimens, 15 (57.7%) (14 weak, 1 moderate staining) showed HBD-2 expression, which was not observed in any of the control specimens. One (3.8%) pterygium and one (6.7%) control specimen demonstrated weak staining for HBD-3. HBD-2 expression was significantly higher in the pterygium specimens than in the controls (p=0.002). None of the tissue specimens had positive staining for HBD-1 or LL-37 in either group (both; p=1.00). Conclusions: HBD-2 expression was higher in pterygium specimens than in the controls. HBD-2 expression that might be stimulated by inflammatory cytokines may be related to inflammation and fibrovascular proliferation and may play a role in pterygium pathogenesis.
RESUMO Objetivo: Investigar as expressões beta defensinas humanas (HBD) e catelicidina em pacientes com pterígio. Métodos: Nesta série de casos retrospectivos consecutivos, 26 espécimes de pterígio e 15 espécimes conjuntivais normais de 15 indivíduos controle foram investigados. As expressões de HBD-1, HBD-2, HBD-3 e catelicidina (LL-37) foram avaliadas por coloração imuno-histoquímica. Uma cor castanha no citoplasma ou nos núcleos de células epiteliais foi definida como coloração positiva para HBDs e LL-37. Para cada anticorpo foi determinada a intensidade da reação (negativo [-], fraco [1+], moderado [2+] ou forte [3+]) para descrever as imunoreações. Resultados: A idade média foi de 52 anos em ambos os grupos. Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos em termos de idade e sexo (p=0,583, p=0,355, respectivamente). Das 26 amostras de pterígio, 15 (57,7%) (14 fracas e 1 moderada) demonstraram a expressão de HBD-2 enquanto não foi encontrada em nenhum dos espécimes de controlo. Um dos pterígios (3,8%) e um dos espécimes de controlo (6,7%) demonstraram fraca coloração para HBD-3. A expressão de HBD-2 foi significati vamente maior nos espécimes de pterígio do que nos controles (p=0,002). Nenhum dos espécimes de tecido apresentou coloração positiva para HBD-1 ou LL-37 em ambos os grupos (ambos p=1,00). Conclusão: Encontramos aumento da expressão de HBD-2 em espécimes de pte rígio em relação aos controles. A expressão de HBD-2 que pode ser estimulada por citocinas inflamatórias pode estar relacionada com inflamação e proliferação fibrovascular e pode desempenhar um papel na patogênese do pterígio.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Pterygium/metabolism , Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides/analysis , beta-Defensins/analysis , Reference Values , Biopsy , Immunohistochemistry , Case-Control Studies , Retrospective Studies , Statistics, Nonparametric , Conjunctiva/chemistryABSTRACT
Background Limbal stem cells (LSCs) deficiency leads to many ocular surface diseases,such as pterygium and so on.ATP-binding cassette transporter B5 (ABCB5) is a recently discovered marker of LSCs.Understanding the expression changes of ABCB5 in pterygium tissue has an important clinical significance for pterygium.Objective This study was to investigate the expression changes of ABCB5 in pterygium tissue.Methods Thirty-seven pterygium tissue specimens were collected from primary pterygium patients who received pterygium surgery,and 22 normal conjunctival tissue specimens were obtained from the strabismus patients and retinal detachment patients during surgery in 474 Hospital of Chinese PLA from January 2015 to November 2015.Immunochemistry was employed to detect the cxpression and location of ABCB5 in the specimens,and the protein and mRNA expressions of ABCB5 were detected by Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR,respectively.The results were compared between normal conjunctival tissues and pterygium tissue.Results ABCB5 protein was expressed in the cytoplasm and nuclei of stratified squamous epithelium of 22 normal counjunctival tissue specimens,especially in the basal layer cells,and showed obvious polarity in normal conjunctiva.In pterygium group,ABCB5 protein was positively expressed in 91.89％ specimens (34/37) and the expression was absent in 8.11％ specimens (3/37).The relative expression levels of ABCB5 protein were 0.90±0.31 and 0.59±0.41,and those of ABCB5 mRNA were 1.01±0.26 and 0.65±0.32 in the normal conjunctival tissues and pterygium tissue,respectively,showing significant differences between them (protein:t =-0.266,P =0.011;mRNA:t =-4.560,P =0.000).Conclusions Down-regulation of ABCB5 in pterygium indicates the decreasing and losing of LSCs,which may play an important role in the development of pterygium.ABCB5 may be a useful indicator for the prediction of development and recurrence of pterygium and has an important implication for treating evaluation,and it may also be a target for the management of pterygium.