Long-spacing collagen in the human corneal stroma

Jpn J Ophthalmol. 1993;37(2):148-55.

Abstract

An electron microscopic observation of a corneal lenticule removed 14 months after epikeratoplasty because of refractive error and an unused lenticule was carried out to determine the presence of long-spacing collagen. In the removed lenticule, long-spacing collagen, which is often described as the product of the keratocytes migrating from the host corneal stroma, was observed near a keratocyte. However, long-spacing collagen was also observed in the unused lenticule. In this specimen, keratocytes had been destroyed by freezing so that the secretion of long-spacing collagen by keratocytes should have been negligible. Thus, it seemed that long-spacing collagen could exist naturally in the corneal lenticule as well as be newly formed by migrating keratocytes. In addition, we examined four corneas from patients ranging from 2 months to 91 years of age with no past history of corneal diseases or disorders. Long-spacing collagen was seen in the corneal stromas of the aged persons, but not in those of the younger. In the corneas of the 78-year- and 91-year-old, a different appearance from the usual long-spacing collagen was also seen in the collagen fibrils which showed a slightly shorter periodicity resembling experimentally formed 100 nm periodic fibrils in mice. Long-spacing collagen is a common component of normal human corneal stroma and its occurrence seems to correlate with the age-related changes of the tissue.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Collagen / ultrastructure*
  • Corneal Stroma / ultrastructure*
  • Epikeratophakia
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Refractive Surgical Procedures
  • Reoperation

Substances

  • Collagen