bromochloroacetic-acid and Keratoconjunctivitis

Keratinization of the ocular surface epithelium is associated with various disorders impairing vision. We immunohistochemically determined whether the ocular surface epithelia express involucrin, and whether its expression pattern may differ in benign vs. malignant disorders. Expression of cytokeratins was also examined to provide further information relative to the epithelial differentiation.. We evaluated 17 specimens; 6 specimens of the normal ocular surface epithelia, 3 specimens from cases of conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), 6 of conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 2 of conjunctivae from cases of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (SLK).. Corneal epithelium exhibited intracellular immunoreactivity for involucrin. Four of the 6 specimens of bulbar conjunctival epithelium showed involucrin immunoreactivity in the perimembranous region, whereas the fornical conjunctiva was negative. Cornified envelope in SLK specimens was positive for involucrin. The CIN showed its immunoreactivity in the perimembranous region in all levels of the hyperproliferative epithelium without keratinization, i.e., similar to the bulbar conjunctiva. The neoplastic cells of well-differentiated SCC showed involucrin in the perimembranous region, and those of moderately- to poorly-differentiated SCC have involucrin in their cytoplasm. The expression pattern of cytokeratins was unrelated to grade of malignancy in ocular SCC.. The epithelia of normal subjects and of CIN expresses involucrin without keratinization. In contrary, the keratinized SLK epithelium markedly expresses involucrin in the cornified envelope. The subcellular immunolocalization of involucrin in the ocular SCC may help in evaluating the differentiation, i.e., malignancy, of neoplastic cells.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma in Situ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Conjunctiva; Conjunctival Diseases; Conjunctival Neoplasms; Epithelium; Eye Proteins; Female; Filaggrin Proteins; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Intermediate Filament Proteins; Keratins; Keratoconjunctivitis; Male; Middle Aged; Protein Precursors

Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (SLK) is a disease of unknown etiology which showed various degrees of keratinization. The cytokeratins (CKs) are known to be the hallmark of epithelial differentiations and each CK has a characteristic distribution dependent on the type and the differentiation status of epithelium. The authors have studied the expression of cytokeratins (CKs) as well as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the conjunctiva of SLK.. Three superior limbic conjunctivae of patients with SLK and two normal conjunctivae were examined immunohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies against CKs and PCNA.. In SLK conjunctivae, increased expression of a basal cell marker (CK14) was observed throughout the epithelium. Sporadic positive staining with CK10, which is a specific marker for keratinization, was correlated to the severity of the disease. The disappearance of CK13 staining, the marker for nonkeratinized stratified epithelia, at the basal cell layer of SLK was noted. Moreover, increased expression of PCNA in SLK was observed.. The altered expression of CKs in SLK suggests an abnormality of differentiation in the conjunctival epithelium of the disease. Upregulated proliferation of conjunctival epithelial cells may be another feature of the disease.

Topics: Aged; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Biomarkers; Cell Division; Eosine Yellowish-(YS); Female; Hematoxylin; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Keratins; Keratoconjunctivitis; Limbus Corneae; Middle Aged; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen

A prominent histological feature of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis is the presence of keratinization of the superior bulbar conjunctiva. Ultrastructurally the affected conjunctival epithelium shows all of the characteristics of keratinization as described in skin. There is a superficial layer of horny cells with reduced organelles and thickened cell membrane. In the intermediate layers, the cells contain an increased number of cytoplasmic filaments which are sometimes aggregated into dense masses, keratohyalin granules, both in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus, membrane coating granules, lysosomes and various other types of membranous structures.

Topics: Conjunctiva; Cytoplasmic Granules; Epithelium; Humans; Hyalin; Intracellular Membranes; Keratins; Keratoconjunctivitis; Organoids; Skin

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca was produced in 2 rabbits by the surgical extirpation of the tear-secreting glands and the nictitating membrane in one eye. Flat mounts of the superficial corneal epithelium were prepared by the in vivo replica technique. Histomorphological and cytological studies of the keratinised cells showed the irregularly arranged, crumpled and piled-up cells. The cells contained coarse granular and fibrillar material in the cytoplasm and large granules in the nuclei. The reaction for -S-S- bridges was positive in these cells. They showed birefringence under polarisation microscopy but possessed some ribonucleoproteins.

Topics: Animals; Collodion; Cornea; Eye; Keratins; Keratoconjunctivitis; Rabbits

Topics: Animals; Cornea; Epithelium; Keratins; Keratitis; Keratoconjunctivitis; Lacrimal Apparatus; Microscopy, Electron; Microtubules; Mitochondria; Rats; Vitamin A Deficiency; Xerophthalmia