Effect of keratoprothesis on the eye: an animal study

Session Details

Session Title: Cornea: Surgical II

Session Date/Time: Tuesday 08/09/2015 | 14:00-16:00

Paper Time: 14:06

Venue: Room 11

First Author: : A.Crnej USA

Co Author(s): :    M. Omoto   T. Dohlman   C. Dohlman   R. Dana           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Purpose: To compare corneal and retinal inflammation after syngeneic and allogeneic penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and miniature Keratoprosthesis (m-KPro) implantation and to assess the extent of damage in the optic nerve.

Setting:

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

Methods:

BALB/c (syngeneic) or C57BL/6 (allogeneic) corneas were transplanted onto BALB/c host beds as part of PK or m-KPro implantation. Corneal inflammation was assessed by determining the frequencies of CD45+ leukocytes, CD4+ T cells, CD11b+ dendritic cells, and Gr-1+ granulocytes/monocytes by flow cytometry and was analyzed by expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-1β using Real-Time qPCR at 8 weeks post-transplantation. In addition, the loss of retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve fibers was assessed 8 weeks after the surgery.

Results:

Corneal cell frequencies in the syngeneic and allogeneic m-KPro groups were higher compared to the syngeneic and allogeneic PK groups, respectively. The expression of TNFα in cornea and retina was higher in synKPro, alloPK, and alloKPro groups compared to the naïve and synPK groups at eight weeks. The expression of IL-1β in cornea and retina was higher in both KPro groups as compared to PK groups. The reduction in number of retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve fibers were higher in both allogeneic compared with singeneic groups.

Conclusions:

Although m-KPro device augments the inflammatory response in cornea after its implantation, allogenicity is greater contributor to inflammation. We suggest using syngeneic or decellularized corneal tissue as a Boston-KPro carrier. Results also suggest that retina and optic nerve could be damaged by chronic inflammation after allogeneic transplantation.

Financial Interest:

NONE