Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
Anterior High-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography in the Diagnosis and Therapeutic Monitoring of Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia
Published on: August 9, 2024
Expression of αB-crystallin and vascular endothelial growth factor in conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma
Zhenyu Dong1, Satoru Kase, Ryo Ando
1Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, N7, W15, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8638, Japan. kaseron@med.hokudai.ac.jp.
Aim:
To examine the expression of αB-crystallin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).
Materials And Methods:
Seven CSCCs and three normal conjunctivas that were surgically excised were studied. Paraformaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were processed for immunohistochemistry with antibodies against αB-crystallin, its phosphorylated forms, and VEGF. In vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of mitomycin C (MMC) treatment on the expression of αB-crystallin and VEGF secretion.
Results:
αB-Crystallin and VEGF were strongly expressed in CSCCs compared to normal conjunctivas. αB-Crystallin immunoreactivity was co-localized with that for VEGF in CSCCs, whereas these signals were reduced in CSCC tissues treated with MMC before excision. MMC treatment suppressed the αB-crystallin expression and VEGF secretion in cultured conjunctival cells in a dose-dependent manner.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated αB-crystallin and VEGF expressions in human CSCCs, which may play a role in the pathogenesis. αB-Crystallin expression, and VEGF secretion were reduced by MMC, indicating a novel therapeutic mechanism in MMC treatment for human CSCC.
