Abstract
Purpose:
Eotaxin receptor CCR3 is known to be widely involved in the process of neovascularization in several anatomic structures, such as the bronchial tree and the choroidal neovascular membranes secondary to age related macular degeneration. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of the eotaxin receptor CCR3 in vascularized and healthy human corneal tissues.
Methods:
Corneal tissues obtained from patients programed for corneal transplantation at the Corneal Service of the Institute of Ophthalmology, Conde de Valenciana Foundation, were used in the present study. After corneal surgery, the tissues were placed in OCT medium, eight to ten micrometer tissue sections were performed and immunostaining assays were used to identify CD31 and CCR3 antigens on tissue samples
Results:
Thirty-two corneal tissues were obtained. Eight out of the 32 corneal tissues were vascularized, while the remaining 24 corneal tissues were avascular. The surgical causes of the vascular corneas were as follows: 5 were for infectious causes, 2 cases were penetrating keratoplasty with secondary failure and 1 was associated to bullous keratopathy. The surgical causes of the avascular corneas were as follows: eighteen corneal tissues corresponded to keratoconus, 4 to pseudophakic bullous keratopathy and 1 to corneal trauma. One tectonic avascular tissue was also used. In the vascularized corneal tissues, a positive staining for both CD31 and CCR3 was found in all the analyzed samples. Interestingly, there was a co-localization between these two proteins..In contrast to vascular corneal tissue, the avascular tissues, were negative to these two markers in all of the cases
Conclusions:
The eotaxin receptor CCR3 is exclusively expressed in vascularized human corneas, which does not occur in avascular tissue
Keywords: 480 cornea: basic science •
479 cornea: clinical science