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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
5
pubmed:dateCreated
2004-10-25
pubmed:abstractText
After corneal injury, keratocytes become activated and transform into repair phenotypes-corneal fibroblasts or myofibroblasts, however, these important cells are difficult to identify histologically, compromising studies of stromal wound healing. Recent studies indicate that expression of the cell surface protein, Thy-1, is induced in fibroblast populations associated with wound healing and fibrosis in other tissues. We investigated whether keratocyte transformation to either repair-associated phenotype induced Thy-1 expression. Human corneal keratocytes were isolated by collagenase digestion. The cells were either processed immediately (i.e. freshly isolated keratocytes) or were cultured in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum or transforming growth factor-beta to induce transformation to the corneal fibroblast and myofibroblast phenotypes, respectively. Thy-1 mRNA and protein expression by freshly isolated keratocytes and corneal fibroblasts were assessed by RT-PCR and Western blotting. mRNA also was extracted from the whole intact stroma and assessed by RT-PCR. Thy-1 was localised immunocytochemically in cultured human corneal fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, and in keratocytes in normal human corneal tissue sections. Thy-1 mRNA and protein were detectable in cultured human corneal fibroblasts, but not freshly isolated keratocytes. Whole uninjured stroma showed no detectable Thy-1 mRNA expression. Cultured human corneal fibroblasts and myofibroblasts both labelled for Thy-1, but keratocytes in the stroma of normal human cornea did not. We conclude that Thy-1 expression is induced by transformation of keratocytes to corneal fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, suggesting a potential functional role for Thy-1 in stromal wound healing and providing a surface marker to distinguish the normal keratocyte from its repair phenotypes.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Nov
pubmed:issn
0014-4835
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
79
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
705-12
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2004
pubmed:articleTitle
Thy-1 distinguishes human corneal fibroblasts and myofibroblasts from keratocytes.
pubmed:affiliation
College of Optometry, University of Houston, 505 J. Davis Armistead Bldg., 4901 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77204-2020, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.