Age-related biochemical changes in human Descemet's membrane.

The effect of age on the compositional analysis of human Descemet's membrane was examined. Membranes were obtained from human corneas ranging from 0.5 to 95 years and purified by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) extraction. Substantial age-related changes were obtained in the amino acid compositions of the SDS-insoluble basement membranes. These results suggested that compositonal changes occur during the aging process, which appeared to reflect an alteration in the subunit make-up of the basement membrane.