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Cornea

The Evaluation of TUNEL, PCNA and SOX2 Expressions in Lens Epithelial Cells of Cataract Patients with Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome

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Pages 12-16 | Received 04 Feb 2019, Accepted 11 Aug 2019, Published online: 27 Aug 2019
 

ABSTRACT

Purpose

This study aims to determine the expression patterns of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and SOX2 in lens epithelial cells (LEC) of cataract patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX), and to determine the effect of apoptosis, proliferative activity and stem/progenitor cells on cataract formation in patients with PEX. This is a prospective, randomized clinical trial.

Materials and Methods

Setting: institutional. 50 eyes of 50 patients were included. Anterior capsule samples were obtained during phacoemulsification surgery. The specimens of LEC were also examined using the TUNEL, PCNA and SOX2 immunohistochemical staining method. To detect the number of immunopositive cells, the total number of cells in a 3 mm2 area was counted using a microscope under x20 magnification and the percentage of cells stained positive was determined.

Results

In Group 1, increased expression was observed with TUNEL, while decreased expression was detected with PCNA (p = .008, p = .015). The average percentage of TUNEL immunopositive cells was significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2, but there was no statistically meaningful SOX2 expression in Group 1 and Group 2 (P = .44). Apoptosis rates were 61.75 ± 14.5% and 36.91 ± 14.6% in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. Proliferation rates were 40.96 ± 16.8% and 65.45 ± 16.9% in Groups 1 and 2, respectively.

Conclusion

We found increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation of LECs in cataract patients with PEX. We suspected that this could be related to oxidative stress.

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Correction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by Scientific Investigations Foundation of Balikesir University [Project no: BAP. 2018/158].

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