TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular and Histopathological Changes Associated with Keratoconus
AU - Khaled, Mariam Lotfy
AU - Helwa, Inas
AU - Drewry, Michelle
AU - Seremwe, Mutsa
AU - Estes, Amy
AU - Liu, Yutao
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Mariam Lotfy Khaled et al.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Keratoconus (KC) is a corneal thinning disorder that leads to loss of visual acuity through ectasia, opacity, and irregular astigmatism. It is one of the leading indicators for corneal transplantation in the Western countries. KC usually starts at puberty and progresses until the third or fourth decade; however its progression differs among patients. In the keratoconic cornea, all layers except the endothelium have been shown to have histopathological structural changes. Despite numerous studies in the last several decades, the mechanisms of KC development and progression remain unclear. Both genetic and environmental factors may contribute to the pathogenesis of KC. Many previous articles have reviewed the genetic aspects of KC, but in this review we summarize the histopathological features of different layers of cornea and discuss the differentially expressed proteins in the KC-affected cornea. This summary will help emphasize the major molecular defects in KC and identify additional research areas related to KC, potentially opening up possibilities for novel methods of KC prevention and therapeutic intervention.
AB - Keratoconus (KC) is a corneal thinning disorder that leads to loss of visual acuity through ectasia, opacity, and irregular astigmatism. It is one of the leading indicators for corneal transplantation in the Western countries. KC usually starts at puberty and progresses until the third or fourth decade; however its progression differs among patients. In the keratoconic cornea, all layers except the endothelium have been shown to have histopathological structural changes. Despite numerous studies in the last several decades, the mechanisms of KC development and progression remain unclear. Both genetic and environmental factors may contribute to the pathogenesis of KC. Many previous articles have reviewed the genetic aspects of KC, but in this review we summarize the histopathological features of different layers of cornea and discuss the differentially expressed proteins in the KC-affected cornea. This summary will help emphasize the major molecular defects in KC and identify additional research areas related to KC, potentially opening up possibilities for novel methods of KC prevention and therapeutic intervention.
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U2 - 10.1155/2017/7803029
DO - 10.1155/2017/7803029
M3 - Review article
C2 - 28251158
AN - SCOPUS:85013301470
SN - 2314-6133
VL - 2017
JO - BioMed Research International
JF - BioMed Research International
M1 - 7803029
ER -