Evaluation of eustrogene, androgen and progesterone receptor levels in corneal epithelium with keratoconus
Session Details
Session Title: Presented Poster Session: Cornea III
Venue: Poster Village: Pod 2
First Author: : E.Akçay TURKEY
Co Author(s): : B. Ayan A. Carhan B. Ocal N. Yuksel N. Cagil
Abstract Details
Purpose:
To evaluate the role of sex steroid hormon receptors on the corneal epithelium (eustrogene, progesterone, androgen ) in etiopathogenesis of keratoconus.
Setting:
Refractive Surgery and Keratoconus Unit of Yıldırım Beyazıt University Atatürk Training and Research Hospital.
Methods:
Keratoconus group included 60 eyes of 60 patients(15 female,15 male) with bilateral progressive keratoconus and scheduled for corneal collagen cross-linking(CCL) surgery. Control group included 40 eyes(10 female,10 male) of 20 patients with refractive error and scheduled for photorefractive keratectomy surgery using excimer laser. Keratoconus group was classified according to Amsler Krumeich classification. Corneal epithelium was obtained mechanically during the surgery. The right eye of each patient’s corneal epithelium was collected for immunohistochemical evaluation, the left eye’s corneal epithelium was collected for reverse transcriptase polimerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) to detect precence of eustrogene α, eustrogene β, progesterone and androgen receptor mRNA levels.
Results:
There was no statistically significant difference between keratoconus and control groups in terms of age and gender(p=0.06,1.0;respectively).There was no statistically significant difference between keratoconus and control groups in terms of progesterone and androgen receptor staining by immunhistochemical analysis(p=0.075,0.815;respectively). We could not find statistically significant difference in progesterone and androgen receptor levels between keratoconus and control groups. Eustrogen α and β receptor staining was not observed in any of corneal epitheliums. In RT-PCR analysis, Eustrogen α and androgen receptor mRNA levels were significantly higher in keratoconus group than control group(p<0.001).Eustrogen β and progesterone receptor mRNA levels were statistically similar between groups(p>0.05).
Conclusions:
In this study, higher eustrogen α and androgen receptor mRNA expression in keratoconus group when compared to control group supports the possible relationship between keratoconus and sex steroid hormones.
Financial Disclosure:
research is funded, fully or partially, by a competing company
