PURPOSE To elucidate the role of draining cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) in corneal alloimmunity. METHODS Fully mismatched orthotopic corneal transplantation was performed in BALB/c hosts that had their CLNs excised before transplantation (CLN(-)). Normal hosts (CLN(+)), splenectomized mice (Sp(-)), and those without either CLNs or spleen (CLN(-)/Sp(-)) served as comparison groups. To determine ...

It has been shown that amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) improves healing of the epithelium defects as it serves as a basement membrane for endothelial cells growth, prevents inflammatory cell infiltration and reduces apoptosis in keratocytes. Having in mind the healing properties of AM we investigated the efficacy of AMT in persistent epithelial defect (PED) on the corneal graft. 80 corn...

PURPOSE Corneal allograft rejection in rats can be prevented by subconjunctival injections of liposomes containing dichloromethylene diphosphonate (clodronate-LIP), which selectively eliminate macrophages. In this study, the effect of clodronate-LIP treatment on cytokine mRNA levels in corneal allografts was examined. METHODS AO rats received corneal grafts of PVG rats. Rats were either not t...

Purpose: We compared the clinical utilities of an amniotic contact lens and temporary membrane transplantation in patients with persistent corneal epithelial defects.Methods: Patients diagnosed defects from November 2019 to July 2022 were randomly assigned either placement for 2 weeks or 1 week, outcomes retrospectively analyzed. The best-corrected visual acuity, sensation, tear film break-up t...

Purpose: To describe the epidemiological profile of patients waiting for penetrating keratoplasty in state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Methods: Transversal and retrospective study, with 871 patients, in the period of 06/01/2011 a 05/31/2012, were registered on the waiting list for corneal transplantation in the Central of Notification, Captation and Distribution of Organs (CNCDO) of Pernambuco. Regi...

PURPOSE To determine whether endothelial cell loss of human corneas stored in organ culture before transplantation is due to apoptosis. METHODS The corneal endothelium of human corneas, stored in organ culture at 34 degrees C for varying periods of time, were analyzed for the presence of apoptotic cells using the TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) technique. Corneal endothelial cell ...

PURPOSE The corneal epithelium is essential for maintaining corneal transparency, and efforts have been made to develop improved techniques for corneal epithelial transplantation in patients with total limbal failure. We evaluated the suitability of transplanted cultivated human conjunctival epithelium (HCjE) as a corneal epithelium replacement in rabbits with total corneal and limbal deficienc...

PURPOSE To characterize corneal epithelial cells separated from limbus in vivo by transplantation of a stainless steel ring with or without creating a defect inside the ring. METHODS A stainless steel ring (diameter, 8 mm; width, 300 μm; depth, 250 μm) was transplanted into rabbit corneal stroma using 10-0 nylon interrupted suture after cutting to a 250 μm depth by corneal vacuum trephine (di...

In order to construct a suitable scaffold for corneal cell culture and transplantation in vitro, different chitosan-chondroitin sulfate blended membranes were prepared and the properties of blended membranes were studied. Corneal stroma cells and corneal endothelial cells were seeded onto the blended membrane surface and the effects of the blended membranes on corneal cell attachment and metabo...

Corneal transplantation, as full-thickness transplantation, is an old surgical procedure which has been successfully performed for more than 100 years. However, in a last decade significant changes in surgical technique(s) have been implemented. The reason for such changes is the current trend to replace only the diseased part of the recipient cornea, not the whole cornea. Therefore, if the ant...