%0 Journal Article
%T Immunohistochemical localization of urokinase-type plasminogen activator, urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor and ¦Á2-antiplasmin in human corneal perforation: a case report
%A Sugioka Koji
%A Kodama Aya
%A Yoshida Koji
%A Okada Kiyotaka
%J BMC Ophthalmology
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2415-12-60
%X Background Corneal ulceration leading to perforation is associated with infectious and non-infectious destructive conditions in the cornea. The fibrinolytic (plasminogen/plasmin) system is considered to contribute to tissue remodeling in the wound healing process and it is believed to play an important role in proteolysis and fibrosis. To determine the localization of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), u-PA receptor (u-PAR) and ¦Á2-antiplasmin (¦Á2AP) in the tissue of a corneal perforation, we investigated immunohistochemical expressions of u-PA, u-PAR, ¦Á2AP, CD68, and ¦Á-smooth muscle actin (¦Á-SMA) in a patient with corneal perforation that developed from an ulcer of no clear cause. Case presentation The patient was a 77-year-old woman who presented with a perforated corneal ulcer in her right eye. The cause of her corneal ulcer was unknown. Double immunohistochemistry was performed for the combinations of u-PA with u-PAR, CD68 or ¦Á-SMA and ¦Á2AP with CD68 or ¦Á-SMA to detect the localization of u-PA and ¦Á2AP. u-PA and u-PAR co-localization was seen in the corneal ulceration area. u-PA was mainly observed in CD68-positive cells and in some ¦Á-SMA positive cells. On the other hand, ¦Á2AP was not expressed in CD68-positive cells, but was expressed in ¦Á-SMA positive cells. Conclusion We identified expression of the u-PA/u-PAR complex and ¦Á2AP in a patient with a corneal ulcer. These two molecules are believed to play a crucial role in inflammatory cell recruitment, ECM synthesis and degradation during corneal wound healing.
%K u-PA
%K u-PAR
%K Corneal wound healing
%K ¦Á2-antiplasmin
%K Corneal perforation
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2415/12/60