Collagen Type XII Is Undetectable in Keratoconus Bowman’s Layer

Authors

Mohammed Rigi
Hyeck-Soo Son
Loren Moon
Mario Matthaei
Divya Srikumaran
Albert S Jun
Charles G Eberhart
Uri S Soiberman

Publication Date

2-21-2024

Journal

British Journal of Ophtalmology

Abstract

PURPOSE: Corneal biomechanical failure is the hallmark of keratoconus (KC); however, the cause of this failure remains elusive. Collagen type XII (

METHODS: TaqMan quantitative PCR was performed on 31 corneal epithelium samples of progressive KC and myopic control eyes. Tissue microarrays were constructed using full-thickness corneas from 61 KC cases during keratoplasty and 18 non-KC autopsy eyes and stained with an antibody specific to COL12A1. Additionally,

RESULTS: COL12A1 expression was reduced at transcript levels in KC epithelium compared to controls (ratio: 0.58, p<0.03). Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that COL12A1 protein expression in BL was undetectable, with reduced expression in KC epithelium, basement membrane, and stroma.

CONCLUSIONS: The apparent absence of COL12A1 in KC BL, together with the functional importance that

Keywords

Humans, Keratoconus, Collagen Type XII, HEK293 Cells, Cornea, Epithelium, Corneal

Comments

PMID: 36746614