C-reactive protein in human lattice corneal dystrophy

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Immunology
• Genetics

Background:

• Lattice corneal dystrophy (LCD) is an inherited condition causing amyloid deposits in the cornea.
• The exact chemical composition of these deposits in LCD remains unknown.
• Amyloid deposits in other conditions can contain amyloid P protein (AP), and C-reactive protein (CRP) shares similarities with Serum amyloid P component (SAP).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence and location of C-reactive protein (CRP), amyloid P protein (AP), and AA (non-immunoamyloid) in corneal tissues from patients with Lattice corneal dystrophy (LCD).
• To determine the specific binding patterns of antibodies against CRP, AP, and AA in normal and LCD corneas.

Main Methods:

• Corneal tissues from normal controls, primary LCD, and recurrent LCD were fixed and treated with antibodies against CRP, AP, and AA.
• The immunoperoxidase technique was employed to detect the binding of these antibodies within the corneal tissues.

Main Results:

• No staining for AP, AA, or CRP was observed in the corneal stroma of either normal or LCD corneas.
• Antibodies to CRP demonstrated specific binding to the corneal epithelium in both primary and recurrent LCD cases.

Conclusions:

• C-reactive protein (CRP) is present in the corneal epithelium of patients with Lattice corneal dystrophy (LCD).
• This finding suggests a potential role for CRP in the pathogenesis of LCD, specifically within the epithelial layer.