Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A comparative immunohistochemical study of human corneotrabecular tissue

  • Laboratory investigations
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using in situ immunohistochemical techniques and a broad panel of antibodies directed against intermediate filament proteins, vascular endothelial markers, neuroectodermal/neuroendocrine markers, and monoclonal antibodies raised against human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs), a comparative phenotypical analysis was performed on HCECs, keratocytes, trabecular cells, and cells lining the canal of Schlemm. The coexpression of cytokeratins and neurofilaments by HCECs argues in favor of a neuroectodermal origin, which is further supported by the fact that they stain positive for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and that they express neural cell adhesion molecules (N-CAM) at their surface. The expression of NSE and N-CAM also applies to the trabecular cells. The cells lining the canal of Schlemm were found to share many immunophenotypical features with vascular endothelial cells (i.e., factor-VIII-related antigen and BMA-120), rather than with HCECs. This was further supported by the reactivity of two monoclonal antibodies (i.e., 9.3 E and 5.52 H) that were raised against HCECs, and which labelled vascular endothelium and cells lining Schlemm's canal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adamis AP, Molnar ML, Tripathi BJ, Emmerson MS, Stefansson K, Tripathi RC (1985) Neuronal-specific enolase in human corneal endothelium and posterior keratocytes. Exp Eye Res 41:665–668

    Google Scholar 

  2. Balaban RS, Bader JP (1984) Studies on the relationship between glycolysis and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase in cultured cells. Biochim Biophys Acta 804:419–426

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bishop AE, Power RF, Polak JM (1988) Markers for neuroendocrine differentaition. Pathol Res Pract 183:119–128

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dernouchamps JP (1982) The proteins of the aqueous humor. Doc Ophthalmol 53:193–248

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ehrhart M, Grube D, Bader M-F, Aunis D, Gratzl M (1986) Chromogranin A in the pancreatic islet: cellular and subcellular distribution. J Histochem Cytochem 34:1673–1682

    Google Scholar 

  6. Engelmann K, Friedl P (1989) Optimization of culture conditions for human corneal endothelial cells. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 25:1065–1072

    Google Scholar 

  7. Engelmann K, Böhnke M, Friedl P (1988) Isolation and longterm cultivation of human corneal endothelial cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 29:1656–1662

    Google Scholar 

  8. Foets BJJ, Oord JJ van den, Desmet VJ, Missotten L (1990) Cytoskeletal filament typing of human corneal endothelial cells. Cornea 9:312–317

    Google Scholar 

  9. Fukushima M, Nakashima Y, Sueishi K (1989) Thrombin enhances release of tissue plasminogen activator from bovine corneal endothelial cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:1576–1583

    Google Scholar 

  10. Gospodarowicz D, Vlodavsky I, Savion N (1981) The role of fibroblast growth factor and the extracellular matrix in the control of proliferation and differentiation of corneal endothelial cells. Vision Res 21:87–103

    Google Scholar 

  11. Gould VE, Moll R, Moll I, Lee I, Franke WW (1985) Biology of disease. Neuroendocrine (Merkel) cells of the skin: hyperplasias, dysplasias, and neoplasms. Lab Invest 52:334–353

    Google Scholar 

  12. Gould VE, Lee I, Warren WH (1988) Immunohistochemical evaluation of neuroendocrine cells and neoplasms of the lung. Pathol Res Pract 183:200–213

    Google Scholar 

  13. Haimoto H, Takahashi Y, Koshikawa T, Nagura H, Kato K (1985) Immunohistochemical localization of γ-enolase in normal human tissues other than nervous and neuroendocrine tissues. Lab Invest 52:257–263

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hamanaka T, Bill A, Ichinohasoma R, Takako I (1989) Is the canal of Schlemm a blood vessel? Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30 [Suppl]:357

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hayashi K, Sueishi K, Tanaka K, Inomata H (1986) Immunohistochemical evidence of the origin of human corneal endothelial cells and keratocytes. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 224:452–456

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hayashi K, Nakashima Y, Sueishi K, Tanaka K (1989) Fibrinolytic activity and localization of plasminogen activator in bovine vitreous body and aqueous humor. Jpn J Ophthalmol 33:66–75

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hogan MJ, Alvarado JA, Weddell JE (1971) The cornea. In: Histology of the human eye: an atlas and textbook. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 55–111

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hyldahl L (1985) Factor VIII expression in the human embryonic eye. Differences between endothelial cells of different origin. Ophthalmologica 191:184–187

    Google Scholar 

  19. Iwamoto Y, Tamura M (1988) Immunocytochemical study of intermediate filaments in cultured human trabecular cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 29:244–250

    Google Scholar 

  20. Jaffe EA (1982) Synthesis of factor VIII by endothelial cells. Ann NY Acad Sci 401:163–169

    Google Scholar 

  21. Johnston MC, Noden DM, Hazelton RD, Coulombre JL, Coulombre AJ (1979) Origins of avian ocular and periocular tissues. Exp Eye Res 29:27–43

    Google Scholar 

  22. Langley OK, Aletsee MC, Gratzl M (1987) Endocrine cells share expression of N-CAM with neurones. FEBS Lett 220:108–112

    Google Scholar 

  23. Langley OK, Aletsec-Ufrecht MC, Grant NJ, Gratzl M (1989) Expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM in endocrine cells. J Histochem Cytochem 37:781–791

    Google Scholar 

  24. Lanier LL, Testi R, Bindl J, Philips JH (1989)Identity of Leu-19 (CD56) leucocyte differentiation antigen and neural cell adhesion molecule. J Exp Med 169:2233–2238

    Google Scholar 

  25. ehto VP, Miettinen M, Virtanen I (1985) A dual expression of cytokeratin and neurofilaments in bronchial carcinoid cells. Int J Cancer 35:421–425

    Google Scholar 

  26. Marangos PJ, Parma AM, Goodwin FK (1978) Functional properties of neuronal and glial isoenzymes of brain enolase. J Neurochem 31:727–732

    Google Scholar 

  27. Margulies DH, Scharf MD (1977) A simple method for polyethylene glycol hybridization of mouse myeloma cells. Somat Cell Mol Genet 3:231–235

    Google Scholar 

  28. Matthew WD, Sandrock AW (1987) Cyclophosphamide treatment used to manipulate the immune response for the production of monoclonal antibodies. J Immunol Methods 100:73–82

    Google Scholar 

  29. May WS, Cuatrecasas P (1985) Transferrin receptor: its biological significance. J Membr Biol 88:205–215

    Google Scholar 

  30. McNutt MA, Bolen JW, Gown AM, Hammar SP, Vogel AM (1985) Coexpression of intermediate filaments in human epithelial neoplasms. Ultrastruct Pathol 9:31–43

    Google Scholar 

  31. Navone F, Reinhard J, Di Gioia G, Stukenbrok H, Greengard P, de Camilli P (1986) Protein p38: an integral membrane protein specific for small vesicles of neurons and neuroendocrine cells. J Cell Biol 103:2511–2527

    Google Scholar 

  32. Pistsov MY, Sadovnikova EY, Danilov SM (1988) Human corneal endothelial cells: isolation, characterization and long-term cultivation. Exp Eye Res 47:403–414

    Google Scholar 

  33. Royds JA, Parsons MA, Taylor CB, Timperley WR (1982) Enolase isoenzyme distribution in the human brain and its tumours. J Pathol 137:37–49

    Google Scholar 

  34. Schmechel DE (1985) Editorial. Subunit of the glycolytic enzyme enolase: nonspecific or neuron specific? Lab Invest 52:239–242

    Google Scholar 

  35. Shamsuddin AKM, Nirankari VS, Purnell DM, Chang SH (1986) Is the corneal posterior cell layer truly endothelial? Ophthalmology 93:1298–1303

    Google Scholar 

  36. Stone RA, Kuwayama Y, Laties AM, Marangos PJ (1984) Neuron-specific enolase-containing cells in the rhesus monkey trabecular meshwork. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 25:1332–1334

    Google Scholar 

  37. Treseler PA, Foulks GN, Sanfilippo F (1985–1986) Expression of ABO blood group, hematopoietic, and other cell-specific antigens by cells in the human cornea. Cornea 4:157–168

    Google Scholar 

  38. Tripathi BJ, Tripathi RC (1989) Neural crest origin of human trabecular meshwork and its implications for the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol 107:583–590

    Google Scholar 

  39. Tripathi BJ, Geanon JD, Tripathi RC (1987) Distribution of tissue plasminogen activator in human and monkey eyes. Ophthalmology 94:1434–1438

    Google Scholar 

  40. Waring GD, Browne WM, Edelhauser HF, Kenyon KR (1982) The corneal endothelium. Normal and pathological structure and function. Ophthalmology 89:531–590

    Google Scholar 

  41. Weinreb RN, Ryder MI (1990) In situ localization of cytoskeletal elements in the human trabecular meshwork and cornea. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 31:1839–1847

    Google Scholar 

  42. Wiedenmann B, Franke WW, Kuhn C, Moll R, Gould VE (1986) Synaptophysin: a marker protein for neuroendocrine cells and neoplasms. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83:3500–3504

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Laboratory of Histo- and Cytochemistry, UZ Sint-Rafaël, Kapucijnenvoer 33, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Beatrijs Foets & Luc Missotten

  2. Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Histo- and Cytochemistry, UZ Sint-Rafaël, Kapucijnenvoer 33, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Joost van den Oord

  3. Augenklinik, Universitäts-Klinikum Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, W-2000, Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    Katrin Engelmann

Authors
  1. Beatrijs Foets
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joost van den Oord
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Katrin Engelmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Luc Missotten
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Offprint requests to: B. Foets

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Foets, B., van den Oord, J., Engelmann, K. et al. A comparative immunohistochemical study of human corneotrabecular tissue. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 230, 269–274 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00176303

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00176303

Keywords

Search

Navigation