*Department of Immunology and Stem Cell Biology, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai, India; †International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; ‡Department of Cornea, Aravind Eye Hospital and Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Madurai, India; and §Advisor-Research, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai, India.
Published: April 2015
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
Purpose: To characterize the microarchitecture of anterior limbal stroma in healthy individuals using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and to correlate it with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a component of the limbal niche.
Methods: The corneal side of the superior limbus was scanned in 30 eyes of 17 normal subjects beyond the basal epithelium, deep into the stroma using an HRT III laser scanning microscope. The IVCM findings were correlated with the immunohistochemical features of MSCs in the anterior limbal stroma.
Results: Clusters of hyperreflective structures were observed in the anterior limbal stroma, subjacent to the basal epithelium (depth, 50.2 ± 8.7 μm to 98 ± 12.8 μm), but not in the corneal stroma. The structures showed unique morphology compared with epithelial cells, keratocytes, neurons, and dendritic cells. In parallel, confocal analysis of immunostained sections showed clusters of cells, double positive for MSC-specific markers (CD90 and CD105) in the anterior limbal stroma at a depth of 55.3 ± 12.7 μm to 72 ± 37.6 μm. The organization and distribution of the MSC clusters locates them within the hyperreflective region in the anterior limbal stroma.
Conclusions: The hyperreflective structures, demonstrated for the first time in the human anterior limbal stroma, probably represent an important component of the limbal niche. Our approach of in vivo imaging may pave the way for assessing the limbal stromal health.
Purpose: To evaluate corneal topographic indices and the prevalence of keratoconus in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and to compare these with normal individuals.
Methods: One-hundred twelve consecutive patients with VKC and 112 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were included in this prospective study. Demographic characteristics were recorded, and complete ophthalmic examinations were performed for all participants.
One of the main causes of corneal blindness is corneal alkali burn, which can also result in serious side effects such as limbal stem cell deficit, corneal perforation, and permanent epithelial abnormalities. This study set out to investigate the therapeutic potential of ADMSCs and BMMSCs for the reconstruction of the corneal surface after chemical alkali burn. Twelve adult rabbits were divided equally into four groups.
The study evaluated how well community-based optometrists (CBOs) can assess limbal anterior chamber depth (LACD) for suspected primary angle closure in comparison to consultant ophthalmologists, noting moderate accuracy.
After implementing an educational intervention, CBOs showed improved agreement and specificity in their assessments, although sensitivity decreased slightly.
The researchers concluded that a simpler 4-point grading scale would be better for identifying cases and suggested that the educational program could help reduce false positive referrals in real-world settings.
Purpose: Ocular chemical injuries often cause uveal inflammation, upregulation of TNF-α at the limbus, and subsequent limbal stem cell (LSC) damage. In this study, we investigate the protective role of TNF-α suppression in LSC survival.
Methods: Corneal alkali injuries were performed using NaOH as previously described by our group.
The study investigates the formation of corneal steep island (CSI) after primary pterygium surgery and seeks to identify preoperative features of pterygium that may predict CSI likelihood.
A total of 93 eyes from 84 subjects undergoing combined pterygium excision and conjunctival-limbal autograft were analyzed to compare outcomes between those with and without postoperative CSI.
Results indicated that CSI occurred in 28% of cases, with significant differences in preoperative corneal astigmatism and pterygium morphology, suggesting that certain characteristics may increase the risk for CSI post-surgery.
