Overexpression of fractalkine and its histopathological characteristics in primary pterygium.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the differences in the expressions of fractalkine in normal bulbar conjunctiva and primary pterygium tissues.

Methods: The study included 48 patients who had been operated on for primary pterygium. Histopathologically, the presence of epithelial atypia, epithelial hyperplasia, goblet cell hyperplasia, epithelial lymphocytic exocytosis, stromal inflammation, mast cell count, and stromal vascularity were evaluated in the primary pterygium tissues. An immunohistochemical fractalkine stain was applied to the primary pterygium tissue samples and normal bulbar conjunctival tissue samples.

Results: Primary pterygium and normal bulbar conjunctival tissue samples were histopathologically analyzed. Epithelial atypia, epithelial hyperplasia, epithelial lymphocytic exocytosis, stromal inflammation, stromal vascularity, and mast cell count were found to be significantly higher in the primary pterygium (p = 0.001, p = 0.002, p = 0.024, p = 0.007, p = 0.024, and p = 0.013, respectively). When evaluated in terms of fractalkine expression, the epithelial, vascular endothelial, and inflammatory cells were significantly higher in the primary pterygium (p ≤ 0.001, p = 0.002, p = 0.001, respectively). Moreover, compared to the normal bulbar conjunctiva, Ki-67 expression was significantly higher in the primary pterygium tissue samples.

Conclusion: Fractalkine might play a key role in the etiopathogenesis of pterygium. Fractalkine may be important in developing new treatment approaches.