RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the age-dependent physiological expression pattern of apoptosis-related genes in the normal conjunctiva. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Healthy probands (group A: 24 probands and group B: 24 probands) were subjected to modified impression cytology using a PTFE membrane for evaluation of age-dependent expression of apoptosis-related genes in the normal conjunctiva. RNA was isolated from the cytologic impression specimens and used for cDNA synthesis employing SuperScriptTM II reverse transcriptase. RESULTS: RT-PCR revealed the detection of apoptosis-related mRNAs as follows (group A compared to group B): Apaf-1: 4.2/4.2%, Bcl-2: 41.7/41.7%, Bim: 0/0%, Bag-1: 70.8/100%, p53: 0/8.3%, Casp-3: 4.2/66.7%, Casp-5: 70.8/37.5%, Casp-8: 62.5/20.8%, Casp-9: 25/12.5%, c-myc: 83.3/95.8%, BAX: 91.7/70.8%, and BAD: 95.8/87.5%. CONCLUSION: The results revealed an age-dependent expression of apoptosis-associated genes (proapoptotic: Casp-3, Casp-5, Casp-8, antiapoptotic Bag-1) in normal human conjunctiva. Taken together these investigations provide basic information to understand the expression of apoptosis-associated genes in various diseases of the conjunctiva.
