PURPOSE To correlate a biomicroscopic evaluation, an in vivo confocal microscopy examination, and impression cytologic findings of the corneal center and sclerocorneal limbus after cultured limbal stem cell transplantation and to test the effectiveness of in vivo confocal microscopy as a diagnostic procedure in ocular surface cell therapy reconstructive surgery. METHODS Six eyes of six patien...

INTRODUCTION Chemical burns of the eyes are one of the important causes of visual disability. Chemical burns particularly alkali burn may lead to gross limbal stem cell deficiency. Amniotic membrane transplantation with limbal graft is a good method for ocular surface reconstruction. CASE A 39 years male presented to Biratnagar Eye Hospital after 5 months of chemical injury with redness, pain...

BACKGROUND Goldenhar Syndrome is characterized by malformations of multiple anatomical districts. Between these, bulbar dermoids are common and represent a significant clinical problem as they can affect both ocular function and aesthetic comfort.Histologic characterization of dermoids has been extensively performed; however, no reports exist describing in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) of the...

PURPOSE To investigate the expression and role of the Wnt signaling pathway in human limbal stem cells (LSCs). METHODS Total RNA was isolated from the human limbus and central cornea. Limbal or cornea-specific transcripts were identified through quantitative real-time PCR. Protein expression of Wnt molecules was confirmed by immunohistochemistry on human ocular tissue. Activation of Wnt signa...

BACKGROUND/AIM Amniotic membrane (AM) transplantation effectively expands the remaining limbal epithelial stem cells in patients with partial limbal stem cell deficiency. The authors investigated whether this action could be produced ex vivo. METHODS The outgrowth rate on AM was compared among explants derived from human limbus, peripheral cornea, and central cornea. For outgrowth of human li...

PURPOSE To investigate whether mesenchymal-epithelial cell interactions, similar to those described in the limbal stem cell niche in transplant-expired human eye bank corneas, exist in freshly enucleated rabbit eyes and to identify matrix molecules in the anterior limbal stroma that might have the potential to help maintain the stem cell niche. METHODS Fresh limbal corneal tissue from adult J...

The aim of this study was to investigate the transdifferentiation potential of murine vibrissa hair follicle (HF) stem cells into corneal epithelial-like cells through modulation by corneal- or limbus-specific microenvironmental factors. Adult epithelial stem cells were isolated from the HF bulge region by mechanical dissection or fluorescence-activated cell sorting using antibodies to alpha6 i...

PURPOSE To evaluate the expression patterns of cytokeratin (K) 12, 13, and 19 in normal epithelium of the human ocular surface to determine whether K13 could be used as a marker for conjunctival epithelium. METHODS Total RNA was isolated from the human conjunctiva and central cornea. Those transcripts that had threefolds or higher expression levels in the conjunctiva than the cornea were iden...

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of prolonged limbal explants cultured without any scaffolds or on amniotic membrane (AM) on the viability, proliferation and differentiation potential of putative phenotypically defined cultured limbal mesenchymal (LMSC) and epithelial stem cells (LESC). METHODS Limbal explants were cultivated on cryopreserved intact AM or plastic plates using medium supplemente...

PURPOSE To determine the expression and function of toll-like receptors (TLRs) in human conjunctival, limbal and corneal epithelial cells. METHODS Expression of TLRs was examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and western blot analysis in human conjunctival, corneal and limbal epithelial cells and tissues. Ligand-stimulated nuclear factor kappaB activation; inte...