Advanced glycation end-products in corneas of patients with keratoconus.

BACKGROUND

Keratoconus remains a poorly understood yet widespread disease which poses a potential threat to human vision. The underlying mechanisms are still not clear. One possible pathway is increased formation and accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the cornea.

METHODS

Corneas obtained from six patients with keratoconus and from six healthy controls were investigated. An immunohistochemical localisation of the well-known AGE N(epsilon)-carboxymethyllysine (CML) was performed using a polyclonal anti-CML antibody.

RESULTS

In the corneas of all six patients with keratoconus, CML immunoreactivity was found in the epithelial as well as in the endothelial cells. The keratocytes also showed a positive reaction. The controls, in contrast, showed very little or no immunoreactivity.

CONCLUSION

In the epithelial, stromal and endothelial cells of corneas with keratoconus an accumulation of CML was detected which might play a role in the pathogenesis of keratoconus.