Expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha, TGF-beta(2) and interleukin 8 messenger RNA in postsurgical and cultured lens epithelial cells obtained from patients with senile cataracts.

BACKGROUND: Testing our hypothesis that residual lens epithelial cells (LEC) participate in the pseudophakic inflammation by producing cytokines, prostaglandins (PG) or both, we detected interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, b-FGF and PGE(2) in the incubation medium of cultured LEC. This paper describes our subsequent work on the expression of TGF-alpha, TGF-beta(2), IL-4 and IL-8 mRNA in postsurgical and cultured LEC.

METHODS: The anterior lens capsule with attached LEC was obtained by anterior capsulotomy during cataract surgery and cultured. Specimens in serum-free medium immediately after surgery or those in serum-added medium after 2 weeks of culture were used. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and electrophoresis were used to detect mRNA coding for TGF-alpha, TGF-beta(2), IL-4 and IL-8 in human cataract LEC.

RESULTS: Electrophoresis of the PCR products showed that appropriately sized amplification products were specific for TGF-alpha and TGF-beta(2) in the specimens immediately after surgery and after culturing, and IL-8 in the cultured LEC. IL-4 was not detected in either group of specimens.

CONCLUSIONS: Human cataract LEC synthesize TGF-alpha and TGF-beta(2) mRNA in situ and after culturing, and the cultured LEC also synthesize IL-8 mRNA. These cytokines may be synthesized by LEC in vitro and play an important role in an autocrine or paracrine manner in the proliferative process of LEC after cataract surgery, which can cause inflammation and aftercataract.