Thy-1 distinguishes human corneal fibroblasts and myofibroblasts from keratocytes

After corneal injury, keratocytes become activated and transform into repair phenotypes-corneal fibroblasts or myofibroblasts, however, these important cells are difficult to identify histologically, compromising studies of stromal wound healing. Recent studies indicate that expression of the cell surface protein, Thy-1, is induced in fibroblast populations associated with wound healing and fibrosis in other tissues. We investigated whether keratocyte transformation to either repair-associated phenotype induced Thy-1 expression. Human corneal keratocytes were isolated by collagenase digestion. The cells were either processed immediately (i.e. freshly isolated keratocytes) or were cultured in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum or transforming growth factor-beta to induce transformation to the corneal fibroblast and myofibroblast phenotypes, respectively. Thy-1 mRNA and protein expression by freshly isolated keratocytes and corneal fibroblasts were assessed by RT-PCR and Western blotting. mRNA also was extracted from the whole intact stroma and assessed by RT-PCR. Thy-1 was localised immunocytochemically in cultured human corneal fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, and in keratocytes in normal human corneal tissue sections. Thy-1 mRNA and protein were detectable in cultured human corneal fibroblasts, but not freshly isolated keratocytes. Whole uninjured stroma showed no detectable Thy-1 mRNA expression. Cultured human corneal fibroblasts and myofibroblasts both labelled for Thy-1, but keratocytes in the stroma of normal human cornea did not. We conclude that Thy-1 expression is induced by transformation of keratocytes to corneal fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, suggesting a potential functional role for Thy-1 in stromal wound healing and providing a surface marker to distinguish the normal keratocyte from its repair phenotypes.