ASSESSMENT OF THE CONCENTRATION OF SELECTED METALLOPROTEINASES IN THE CORNEAL EPITHELIUM IN PATIENTS WITH RECURRENT CORNEAL EROSIONS UNDERGOING THERAPEUTIC PHOTOKERATECTOMY

Published 2022 - 26th ESCRS Winter Meeting

Reference: P166 | Type: Abstracts | DOI: 10.82333/b7wy-ky14

Authors: Katarzyna Jadczyk-Sorek* ¹ , Beata Bubała-Stachowicz ² , Wojciech Garczorz ³ , Tomasz Francuz ³ , Ewa Mrukwa-Kominek ⁴

¹Department of Ophthlamology,University Clinical Center ,Katowice,Poland;Department of Ophthlamology,Medical University of Silesia,Katowice,Poland, ²Department of Ophthlamology,University Clinical Center,Katowice,Poland, ³Department of Biochemistry,Medical University of Silesia,Katowice,Poland, ⁴Department of Ophthlamology,University Clinical Center,Katowice,Poland;Department of Ophthlamology,Medical University of Silesia,Katowice,Poland

Purpose

Assessment of the differences in the concentration of selected matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9) in the corneal epithelium between: (1) patients with recurrent corneal erosions (RCE) caused by trauma or Cogan's microcystic dystrophy, and patients with stable epithelial-stromal complex (2) patients with post-traumatic RCE and patients with RCE due to Cogan's microcystic dystrophy.

Setting

Department of Ophthlamology, Department of Biochemistry

Methods

The analyzed group included 121 eyes in 121 patients classified into the study and control groups, respectively. The study group (group 1) included 56 eyes in 56 patients qualified for the phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). The criterion for the division group 1 into two subgroups A and B was the etiology of RCE: group 1A - Cogan's basement membrane dystrophy (n=22 people) and group 1B - trauma (n=34 people). The control group (group 2) included people with a stable epithelial-stromal complex who underwent Epi-Bowman Keratectomy (EBK). Control group included 65 eyes in 65 patients. The analyzed material was the corneal epithelium collected during the PTK or EBK, respectively for the study and control groups. MMP concentration was determined by immunohistochemical method using Human Magnetic Luminex® Assay.

Results

Assessment of the concentration of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9 in the corneal epithelium in patients with RCE, revealed: (1) statistically significant higher concentration of MMP-2 in the group of patients with RCE compared to the control group, which was on average 967.0±1084.9 in patients in group 1 and 175.7±121.2 in patients from group 2 (2) statistically significantly higher concentration of MMP-3 in the group of patients with RCE compared to the control group, which averaged 281.7±471.6 in patients in group 1 and 21.5±33.2 in patients from group 2 (3) no statistically significant differences in the concentration of MMP-2 and MMP-3 between subgroups 1A and 1B, but a higher concentration of MMP in group 1A (4) the inability to assess the concentrations for MMP-1, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9 in groups 1 and 2, due to the too low sensitivity of the MMP test kits.

Conclusion

Assessing the differences in the concentration of selected MMP in the corneal epithelium, it was found: (1) statistically significant higher concentration of MMP-2 and MMP-3 in the group of patients with RCE due to trauma and Cogan's microcystic dystrophy compared to patients with stable epithelial stromal complex (2) higher concentration of MMP-2 and MMP-3 in the epithelium of patients with Cogan's microcystic dystrophy compared to the group of patients after the injury, however, these differences turned out to be statistically insignificant. Despite the use of the highest sensitivity kits available, both in the group of patients with RCE and in the group of patients with a stable epithelial-stromal complex, concentrations for MMP-1, MMP-7, MMP-8, and MMP-9 were not sufficient for analysis.