The Change of the Corneal Endothelial Cell after Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the change of corneal endothelial cell following acute angle closure glaucoma attack, the central endothelial cell between the affected and the fellow eye was compared. METHODS: Twelve patients with uniocular acute angle closure glaucoma were enrolled. After acute attacks were resolved with medical treatment, 12 affected and 12 fellow eyes received laser peripheral iridotomy. The central endothelial cell counts of the affected and the fellow eyes were measured with specular microscope. RESULTS: While the mean central endothelial cell count of the affected eye was 1758.67+/-794.33 cells/mm2, that of the fellow eye was 2727.17+/-355.20 cells/mm2. The average difference of endothelial cell count between the affected and the fellow eye was 968.5 cells/mm2. It showed a mean decrease in cell density of 35.51% (p=0.000). There was a clear correlation between the duration of elevated pressure and the number of central corneal endothelial cells lost (p=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Even if the intraocular pressure was well controlled after acute angle closure glaucoma attack, the endothelial cell count of cornea can be decreased. Therefore, if acute angle closure glaucoma attack occurs, intraocular pressure should be reduced immediately. If the eye attacked by acute angle closure glaucoma is to have intraocular surgery, there clearly needs to be care not to injure the endothelium and measure the endothelial cell count preoperatively.

Profiling of Differentially Expressed Genes in Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte on Human Amniotic Membrane

PURPOSE: To identify genes that showed altered expression between human polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell cultured on plastic and on amniotic membrane by the technique of differential hybridization of two Altas(TM) Human cDNA expression array. METHODS: 32P-labeled complimentary DNA probes derived from RNA of either human polymorphonuclear leukocyte cultured on plastic and cultured on amniotic membrane were hybridized to two identical human cDNA expression array membranes containing 588 known genes. RESULTS: Of the total 588 genes, 130 genes were up- or down-regulated. 50 up-regulated and 80 down-regulated genes were identified in polymorphonuclear leukocyte cultured on amniotic membrane compared with control. After different signal intensity was normalized more than 4000 by Atlas Image(TM) 1.0 Software, 19 genes were up-regulated and 36 genes down-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: Genes associated with the process of apoptosis, DNA synthesis and repair were down-regulated in PMN cultured on AM and genes associated with DNA binding protein, transcription factor were altered. Cell-cell communication factors including TGF-beta, PDGF-A, RANTES, MRP-14, oncostatin M, MIP-2 alpha were significantly down-regulated and cell surface antigen CD11a (LFA-1) was down-regulated, suggesting that AM can suppress the inflammatory reaction mediated by adhesion molecule, inflammatory, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines.