This review outlines the main features of clinical trials where cultivated oral mucosa epithelial cell transplantation (COMET) was performed, aiming to underscore a link between outcome and expression specific markers during follow-up patients, characteristic for defined epithelium (cornea, mucosa, or conjunctiva) related vascularization. Currently, little is known about reasons underlying succ...

The intracellular position of the Golgi apparatuses in the basal cell layer of the corneal epithelium in embryonic and hatched chicks has been studied in the light microscope by impregnating the Golgi apparatus with silver. During two distinct periods in development the Golgi apparatuses in the basal cells shift from an apical to basal position. Each of these periods correlates in time with the...

PURPOSE To determine the UV absorbance of the corneal layers (epithelium, Bowman layer, stroma) in the 240- to 400-nm range. METHODS Consecutive slices (100 microm) of human cadaveric corneas were cut, and the UV absorbance of each sample was determined in a scanning spectrophotometer. In some cases the epithelium was scraped off and its absorbance measured separately. RESULTS The investiga...

PURPOSE To evaluate the expression of inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases in the corneal epithelium in pseudophakic corneal edema (PCE). METHODS Tissue sections were prepared from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks of corneal buttons removed from 20 patients with PCE during penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and from 11 age-matched control eyes enucleated because of uveal m...

CASE REPORT A 74-year-old man developed a partial limbal stem cell deficiency secondary to a chemical injury in the left eye. He was treated with a sectorial conjunctival epitheliectomy and amniotic membrane transplantation. After 3 weeks there was an intact, smooth and stable corneal epithelium. DISCUSSION This case report emphasizes that conjunctival epitheliectomy and amniotic membrane tra...

PURPOSE To report the first case of ophthalmia due to contact with cobra venom in the Volta Region, Ghana. METHODS An ointment containing vitamin A was applied to treat the patient's unilateral defects in the corneal epithelium and the consequent diminished visual acuity. RESULTS Healing of the corneal epithelium and improvement of visual acuity were observed after only 1 day. CONCLUSIONS...

The human ocular surface (front surface of the eye) is formed by two different types of epithelia: the corneal epithelium centrally and the conjunctival epithelium that surrounds this. These two epithelia are maintained by different stem cell populations (limbal stem cells for the corneal epithelium and the conjunctival epithelial stem cells). In this review, we provide an update on our underst...