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Published on: August 4, 2022
Expression of beta defensins in ocular surface tissue of experimentally developed allergic conjunctivitis mouse model
Ai Ikeda1, Yoko Nakanishi, Tohru Sakimoto
1Department of Ophthalmology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. aill2@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
Purpose:
To investigate the expression of beta-defensin in the ocular surface of a mouse experimental allergic conjunctivitis (EAC) model.
Methods:
Mouse beta-defensin (mBD)-1 and -2 mRNA expressed in conjunctival tissue of both the EAC and the control group were analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. mBD-1 and mBD-2 mRNA expressed in cornea, limbus, and conjunctival epithelium of the EAC and the control group were also analyzed using a laser-assisted microdissection technique and the RT-PCR method.
Results:
There was no significant difference in the amount of mBD-1 between the EAC and the control group. However, the EAC group had significantly less mBD-2 (0.23 +/- 0.15 x 10(4) copy/microl) than the control group (3.61 +/- 4.87 x 10(4) copy/microl) (P < 0.01, Mann-Whitney U test). mBD-1 mRNA was positive for all examined tissue in both groups. The expression of mBD-2 mRNA in the EAC group was definitely positive for the corneal and conjunctival epithelium and negative for the limbus.
Conclusion:
mBD-2 mRNA was expressed significantly less in the EAC model than in the control. Analysis by site in the ocular surface tissue revealed that this reduction was caused by the diminished expression of mBD-2 in the limbus.
