Ultrastructural analysis of in vivo expanded corneal epithelium on amniotic membrane.

The purpose of this study is to characterize and compare the ultrastructural changes occurring during the in vivo cultivation of corneal epithelium on amniotic membrane (AM) at several different time points. Corneal burn patients (n=7) with a corneal epithelial defect and severe limbal damage were selected. Initially, AM transplantation with limbal autograft was performed at the acute stage of corneal burn to reconstruct the damaged ocular surface. One to six (mean interval; 3.3+/-1.2) months later, the central part of AM containing an in vivo expanded corneal epithelium was excised and retransplanted in adjacent lesions. The excised epithelium with AM was examined by electron microscopy and immunohistochemical study. By electron microscopy, one and two months after expansion, cultivated epithelium on AM showed an undifferentiated epithelium and an incomplete basement membrane (BM). But, after three months, the cultivated epithelium began to differentiate into a multilayered epithelium with a continuous BM with increased hemidesmosomes. These findings were further confirmed by immunohistochemical study, that cytokeratin K3 was expressed in the cultivated corneal epithelium and newly formed BM was partially positive of collagen IV at three months. At least 3 months may be needed for the proliferation and differentiation of in vivo cultivated corneal epithelium on AM.