To use human limbal explants as an alternative source for generating conjunctival epithelium and to determine the effect of interleukin-13 (IL-13) on goblet cell number, mucin expression, and stemness. Human limbal explants prepared from 17 corneoscleral rims were cultured with or without IL-13 (IL-13+ and IL-13-, respectively) and followed up to passage 2 (primary culture [P0]–P2). Cells were characterized by alcian blue/periodic acid–Schiff (AB/PAS) staining (goblet cells); immunofluorescent staining for p63α (progenitor cells), Ki-67 (proliferation), MUC5AC (mucin, goblet cells), and keratin 7 (K7, conjunctival epithelial and goblet cells); and by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for expression of the p63α (TP63), MUC5AC, MUC4 (conjunctival mucins), K3, K12 (corneal epithelial cells), and K7 genes. Clonogenic ability was determined by colony-forming efficiency (CFE) assay. Using limbal explants, we generated epithelium with conjunctival phenotype and high viability in P0, P1, and P2 cultures under IL-13+ and IL-13- conditions, i.e., epithelium with strong K7 positivity, high K7 and MUC4 expression and the presence of goblet cells (AB/PAS and MUC5AC positivity; MUC5AC expression). p63α positivity was similar in IL-13+ and IL-13- cultures and was decreased in P2 cultures; however, there was increased TP63 expression in the presence of IL-13 (especially in the P1 cultures). Similarly, IL-13 increased proliferative activity in P1 cultures and significantly promoted P0 and P1 culture CFE. IL-13 did not increase goblet cell number in the P0–P2 cultures, nor did it influence MUC5AC and MUC4 expression. By harvesting unattached cells on day 1 of P1 we obtained goblet cell rich subpopulation showing AB/PAS, MUC5AC, and K7 positivity, but with no growth potential. In conclusion, limbal explants were successfully used to develop conjunctival epithelium with the presence of putative stem and goblet cells and with the ability to preserve the stemness of P0 and P1 cultures under IL-13 influence.

PurposePosterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPCD) is characterized by abnormal proliferation of corneal endothelial cells. It was shown that TGF-β2 present in aqueous humor (AH) could help maintaining the corneal endothelium in a G1-phase-arrest state. We wanted to determine whether the levels of this protein are changed in AH of PPCD patients.MethodsWe determined the concentrations of active TGF-β2 in the AH of 29 PPCD patients (42 samples) and 40 cadaver controls (44 samples) by ELISA. For data analysis the PPCD patients were divided based on either the molecular genetic cause of their disease as PPCD1 (37 samples), PPCD3 (1 sample) and PPCDx (not linked to a known PPCD loci, 4 samples) or on the presence (17 samples) or absence (25 samples) of secondary glaucoma or on whether they had undergone penetrating keratoplasty (PK, 32 samples) or repeated PK (rePK, 7 samples).ResultsThe level of active TGF-β2 in the AH of all PPCD patients (mean ± SD; 386.98 ± 114.88 pg/ml) in comparison to the control group (260.95 ± 112.43 pg/ml) was significantly higher (P = 0.0001). Compared to the control group, a significantly higher level of active TGF-β2 was found in the PPCD1 (P = 0.0005) and PPCDx (P = 0.0022) groups. Among patients the levels of active TGF-β2 were not significantly affected by gender, age, secondary glaucoma or by the progression of dystrophy when one or repeated PK were performed.ConclusionThe levels of active TGF-β2 in the AH of PPCD patients are significantly higher than control values, and thus the increased levels of TGF-β2 could be a consequence of the PPCD phenotype and can be considered as another feature characterizing this disease.