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Related Experiment Videos

Does the human cornea contain silicon?

N F Schrage1, A Almkermann, S Salla

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, RWTH Aachen, Germany.

Graefe'S Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology = Albrecht Von Graefes Archiv Fur Klinische Und Experimentelle Ophthalmologie
|August 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Silicon accumulates in the cornea, especially in bricklayers and individuals with silicosis. While normal corneas have minimal silicon, occupational exposure leads to higher levels and particle accumulation, particularly in Descemet

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Materials Science
  • Occupational Health

Background:

  • Investigated silicon presence, type, and quantity in human corneas.
  • Examined corneas from silicotic individuals, bricklayers, and healthy controls.
  • Hypothesized mechanisms for silicon deposition in the cornea.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Quantify silicon in human corneas across different exposure groups.
  • Determine the form (amorphous vs. particulate) and location of silicon deposits.
  • Correlate occupational silicon exposure with corneal silicon content.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzed cornea samples from 13 silicotic, 2 bricklayer, and 6 healthy subjects.
  • Utilized energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) with a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examined five distinct corneal layers for amorphous silicon and silicon-containing particles.

    • Main Results:

    • Found amorphous silicon in 38% of silicotic and 29% of healthy corneas.
    • Bricklayers exhibited high concentrations of amorphous silicon, primarily in Descemet's membrane.
    • Silicotic corneas had significantly more silicon particles than controls (P < 0.01).

    Conclusions:

    • Normal corneas contain minimal silicon.
    • Inhalative silicon dust exposure slightly increases amorphous silicon levels.
    • Silicotic individuals accumulate silicon particles, and bricklayers incorporate more amorphous silicon.