rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2003;87:488-492 doi:10.1136/bjo.87.4.488
  • Original Article

Laser photocoagulation alters the pattern of staining for neurotrophin-4, GFAP, and CD68 in human retina

  1. S M S Ghazi-Nouri1,2,
  2. A Assi1,
  3. G A Limb2,
  4. R A H Scott1,
  5. K von Bussmann2,
  6. I Humphrey2,
  7. P J Luthert1,3,
  8. D G Charteris1
  1. 1Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
  2. 2Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
  3. 3Department of Pathology, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
  1. Correspondence to: Mr S M Ghazi-Nouri, Vitreoretinal Research Unit, Moorfields Eye Hospital, City Road, London EC1V 2PD, UK; snouri{at}doctors.org.uk
  • Accepted 12 September 2002

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the staining pattern of neurotrophin-3 (NT3), neurotrophin-4 (NT4), and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as well as glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and CD68 in lasered human retina.

Methods: Retinal laser photocoagulation was performed on four patients (two males, two females) with choroidal malignant melanoma 1–6 days before enucleation. Three other enucleated eyes with malignant melanoma and three normal cadaveric donor eyes were used as controls. Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate the pattern of staining of NT3, NT4, BDNF, GFAP, and CD68 in 7 mm sections of fixed specimens.

Results: Expression of NT4 was detected in the inner and outer nuclear layers of all the retinal sections examined but no NT3 and BDNF staining was seen. NT4 staining was found to be less intense in lasered and melanoma controls compared to normal cadaveric donor retinas. There was an upregulation of GFAP expression in both lasered and control eyes with melanoma in comparison with normal controls. CD68 staining was only observed in retinal pigment epithelium and choroid of lasered eyes.

Conclusion: NT4 is expressed in inner and outer nuclear layers of normal human retina and its expression is downregulated following laser photocoagulation. This occurs in parallel with an increased expression of GFAP suggesting that reactive changes in Muller cells may be responsible for reduced NT4 staining. Expression of CD68 at the site of laser injury is consistent with a wound healing process as a response to local damage.

Footnotes

    This Article

    1. Abstract
    2. Full text
    3. PDF

    Responses

    1. Submit a response
    2. No responses published

    Register for free content

    The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

    Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.