The role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of XXXX .

@entity1 @entity589 @entity588 @entity12 @entity9800 @entity22958 @entity13189
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of @entity22958 . METHODS: Twenty-one corneal buttons from @entity1 with @entity13189 and 15 control corneas were studied. Apoptosis was assessed by the in situ end-labeling of double-stranded DNA breaks, and by immunohistochemical characterization of cellular markers associated with apoptosis (Fas, @entity12 , @entity588 , and @entity589 ). Expression of @entity588 and @entity589 mRNA in the corneal stroma and endothelium was separately analyzed by a semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, cultivated keratocytes generated from diseased corneal buttons and donor rims were exposed to @entity9800 , an apoptotic inducer, for 6 and 24 hours. They were then examined for protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of apoptotic regulatory molecules. RESULTS: DNA fragmentation was seen in the epithelium, stroma, and endothelium in 6 of 7 corneas with @entity13189 . A statistically significant difference was identified in the expression of @entity589 and its mRNA in the stroma, but not in the endothelium of @entity13189 corneas. Following exposure to @entity9800 , keratocytes from @entity1 with @entity13189 responded with an increased level of @entity589 and a low level of @entity588 . This trend was distinctively different from the response of normal keratocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence in this study points to a disease-related disturbance in the regulation of apoptosis in @entity13189 . Our findings suggest that excessive apoptosis may be an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of @entity13189 .
