Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Visualization and Analysis of Pharyngeal Arch Arteries using Whole-mount Immunohistochemistry and 3D Reconstruction
Published on: March 31, 2020
EphrinB2 and EphB4 expression in pterygia: new insights and preliminary results
Chunyan Xue1, Zhenping Huang, Jiandong Wang
1Department of Ophthalmology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, China.
Objective:
Pterygium is a growth of fibrovascular tissue onto the cornea, in which the mechanisms of cell proliferation and vascularization are unknown. The ephrin-Eph system, especially ephrinB2 and its receptor EphB4, has been shown to play an important role in tumor angiogenesis. EphrinB2 and EphB4 have also been reportedly involved in the pathogenesis of ocular angiogenesis. This study was designed to investigate the expression of ephrinB2 and its receptor EphB4 in pterygia.
Design:
Experimental study of the expression of ephrinB2 and its receptor EphB4 in pterygia.
Participants:
Twenty-three primary pterygia, 5 recurrent pterygia, and 11 normal conjunctiva were studied.
Methods:
Immunohistochemistry studies were used to assess ephrinB2 and EphB4 protein expression levels and the tissue distribution in the samples.
Results:
EphrinB2 and EphB4 staining was present at a dense level in the total epithelium of the head portions of both primary and recurrent pterygial specimens, although just in the basal and parabasal layer of the epithelium of most of the normal conjunctivae.
Conclusions:
EphrinB2 and EphB4 appear to be overexpressed in pterygium, and they may play important roles in its development.
