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Br J Ophthalmol 2007;91:958-961 doi:10.1136/bjo.2006.110387
  • Laboratory science - Scientific reports

Expression of p27(KIP1) and cyclin D1, and cell proliferation in human pterygium

  1. Satoru Kase1,
  2. Shuji Takahashi2,
  3. Izuru Sato3,
  4. Katsuya Nakanishi2,
  5. Kazuhiko Yoshida3,
  6. Shigeaki Ohno3
  1. 1Department of Ophthalmology, Sapporo Social Insurance General Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
  2. 2Department of Pathology, Sapporo Social Insurance General Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
  3. 3Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
  1. Correspondence to: Dr S Kase Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, N15 W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan; kaseron{at}med.hokudai.ac.jp
  • Accepted 12 December 2006
  • Published Online First 19 December 2006

Abstract

Background: The pterygium is a growth onto the cornea of fibrovascular tissue that is continuous with the conjunctiva, whereas the mechanisms of cell proliferation in pterygium epithelium are unknown.

Aim: To analyse the histopathology and the expression of cell cycle-related molecules in pterygium tissues.

Methods: Seven pterygia were surgically removed using the bare-sclera procedure, and three normal bulbar conjunctivas were also obtained. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-wax-embedded tissues were analysed by immunohistochemistry with anti-p27(KIP1), cyclin D1 and Ki-67 antibodies.

Results: Conjunctival epithelium consisted of several layers of round cells with a few goblet cells. Nuclear immunoreactivity for p27(KIP1) was noted in many normal epithelial cells, where cyclin D1 and Ki-67-positive nuclei were intermingled. A variety of goblet cells were located in the superficial layer of the pterygium head as well as those of the body epithelia. Several pterygium epithelial cells were p27(KIP1) positive, whereas nuclear immunoreactivity for cyclin D1 and Ki-67 was detected in many epithelial cells. By contrast, immunoreactivity for p27(KIP1), cyclin D1 and Ki-67 was hardly detected in the pterygium stroma.

Conclusion: It is suggested that pterygium growth and development are associated with the proliferation of epithelium, which is possibly involved in the expression of cell cycle-related molecules.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None declared.

  • Published Online First 19 December 2006

Responses to this article

  • Expression of p27(KIP1) and cyclin D1, and cell proliferation in human pterygium.
    • Louis Tong
    Br J Ophthalmol published online August 4, 2009

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