In Vitro Growth of Lens Epithelial Cells from Cataract Patients - Association with Possible Risk Factors for Posterior Capsule Opacification

Abstract

Aim : Inter-individual differences in intrinsic proliferative capacity of lens epithelial cells may have importance for the risk of developing posterior capsule opacification (PCO) after cataract surgery. The purpose of the present study was to determine growth of human lens epithelial cells (HLEC) in culture and investigate possible associations with clinical characteristics of the donors, such as age, sex, pseudoexfoliation, uveitis and diabetes.Methods : Pieces of lens capsule and adhering lens epithelial cells were obtained through capsulorhexis at cataract surgery. Specimens were cultured in a humidified CO2-incubator using standard culture medium and 5% fetal calf serum for two weeks after which cultured cells were stained with carboxy-fluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester. Image processing software was used to determine the area of the confluent epithelial cell layer in relation to the size of the original capsule specimen.Results : The increase in area of confluent HLEC showed a negative correlation with diabetes at the first week after surgery. Lower age and female sex showed border-line significant associations with a higher rate of cell proliferation. The presence of pseudoexfoliation in vivo did not significantly affect cell growth in culture postoperatively. Nor did installation of xylocain in the anterior chamber during surgery.Conclusion : Diabetes is associated with lower rate of proliferation of lens epithelial cells in culture. The lack of strong correlations between in vitro growth and known risk factors for PCO in the donors suggest that other factors than the proliferative capacity of the cells per se are important for PCO formation.

Effects of 17β-Estradiol on Activity, Gene and Protein Expression of Superoxide Dismutases in Primary Cultured Human Lens Epithelial Cells

“…Even though we have observed a slightly higher rate of cell growth in capsule-epithelium specimens derived from female cataract patients, 32 no difference in results were seen between cells from different genders in our previous study of estrogen effects. Therefore, HLECs, only derived from women over 60 years undergoing cataract surgery, were used in this study.…”

Implantation of a diffractive trifocal intraocular lens: One-year follow-up

“…Several factors might account for this finding, such as the surgical procedure or a potentially high intrinsic proliferative capacity of the lens epithelial cells in some patients. 26 Likewise, the IOL material and design might have influenced this significantly, 27 although previous studies evaluating the bifocal IOL based on the same diffractive platform have not shown this rate of proliferative forms of PCO. 15 In conclusion, the trifocal diffractive IOL evaluated can provide effective distance, intermediate, and near visual restoration after cataract surgery during a 12-month follow-up, with good levels of visual quality.…”

Anterior lens capsule and epithelium thickness measurements using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

“…This finding may be because the lens capsule is primarily composed of Type IV collagen, and it is sufficiently elastic to handle the accommodation range in this study. Although female gender was correlated with an increased rate of epithelial cell proliferation, no significant correlation was identified between gender and the ALCC in this study [ 13 ]. This finding may be because we only included normal subjects in the current study.…”