Abstract
Purpose :
Keratoconus is a condition where the cornea progressively bulges and deforms. There is growing evidence that the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway controls and regulates the three-dimensional architecture of organs. This study aims to investigate the expression of YAP and cyclin-dependent kinase7 (CDK7), which is supposed to be an upstream regulator of YAP/TAZ, in keratoconus by means of immunostaining.
Methods :
The study targeted cases that underwent penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus, with the donors serving as normal ocular controls. Immunostaining was performed to detect the presence of YAP, CDK7, and factors involved in corneal healing and fibrosis, such as SMAD3 and SMAD7.
Results :
Three cases of corneal tissue from keratoconus and three cases of normal donor corneal tissue as controls were immunostained. Immunostaining of all three keratoconus corneas was positive for YAP, CDK7, SMAD3 and SMAD7, and their expression levels were elevated compared to normal corneas. The expression of YAP, CDK7, SMAD3 and SMAD7 was also observed in the corneal stroma as well as the corneal epithelium, while, the normal corneas were negative for all stains.
Conclusions :
The presence of YAP signaling in the keratoconic corneas indicates its involvement in the pathology of keratoconus, suggesting a potential role for YAP in this condition.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.