Overaccumulation of transforming growth factor-beta1 and basic fibroblast growth factor in lens epithelial cells of congenital cataract.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) at gene and protein levels in lens epithelial cells of anterior subcapsular congenital cataracts (ASCC).

DESIGN

Case-control study and analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-six eyes with ASCC were studied, and 14 eyes with transparent lenses were used as controls.

METHODS

Anterior epithelium capsules with ASCC were obtained from patients who had undergone extracapsular cataract extraction. The accumulation of TGF-beta1 and bFGF gene and protein was determined by reverse transcription-real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting.

RESULTS

The results from RT-PCR showed that the accumulation of TGF-beta1 and bFGF mRNA in lens epithelial cells of ASCC was significantly higher compared with controls in both male and female samples. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the accumulation of bFGF mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA. Western blotting results demonstrated that the accumulation of TGFbeta1 and bFGF proteins in lens epithelial cells with ASCC was also highly elevated.

CONCLUSIONS

The overaccumulation of TGF-beta1 and bFGF in lens epithelial cells may play an important role in the formation of subcapsular congenital cataract.