Collagen type XII is undetectable in keratoconus Bowman's layer.

Autor:	Rigi M; Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA., Son HS; Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.; Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany., Moon L; Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA., Matthaei M; Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany., Srikumaran D; Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA., Jun AS; Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA., Eberhart CG; Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA usoiber1@jhmi.edu ceberha@jhmi.edu., Soiberman US; Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA usoiber1@jhmi.edu ceberha@jhmi.edu.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	The British journal of ophthalmology [Br J Ophthalmol] 2024 Feb 21; Vol. 108 (3), pp. 343-348. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Feb 21.
DOI:	10.1136/bjo-2022-322180
Abstrakt:	Purpose: Corneal biomechanical failure is the hallmark of keratoconus (KC); however, the cause of this failure remains elusive. Collagen type XII ( COL12A1 ), which localises to Bowman's layer (BL), is thought to function in stress-bearing areas, such as BL. Given the putative protective role of COL12A1 in biomechanical stability, this study aims to characterise COL12A1 expression in all corneal layers involved in KC. 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, COL12A1 was knocked out in vitro in immortalised HEK293 cells. Results: COL12A1 expression was reduced at transcript levels in KC epithelium compared with 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 COL12A1 is thought to have in stress bearing areas, suggests that COL12A1 may play a role in the pathogenesis of KC. Further studies are necessary to investigate the mechanisms that lead to COL12A1 dysregulation in KC. Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared. (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
Externí odkaz:	Zobrazit plný text záznamu