Gonadotropins in Keratoconus: The Unexpected Suspects

Karamichos, Dimitrios; Barrientez, Brayden; Nicholas, Sarah E.; Ma, Symon; Van, Lyly; Bak‐Nielsen, Sashia; Hjortdal, Jesper

doi:10.3390/cells8121494

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Numerous hypotheses have been proposed, including genes, sex, eye rubbing, contact lens use, age, sun exposure, inflammation, and even pollution (2,(8)(9)(10)(11). Recently, scientists have found that hormones, including sex hormones, prolactin, gonadotropins, thyroid hormones, glucocorticoids, and relaxin may be involved in the development of KC (8,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. However, the exact mechanisms remain unclear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations Between Keratoconus and the Level of Sex Hormones: A Cross-Sectional Study

et al. 2022

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PurposeTo analyze the level of sex hormone in relation to keratoconus (KC).MethodsSixty-two eyes of 62 patients (12 females, 50 males) classified as KC and 120 eyes of 120 patients (21 females, 99 males) with mild to moderate myopia and astigmatism were analyzed. Plasma samples were collected and analyzed using a chemiluminescence immunoassay to determine the concentrations of estriol (E3), estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), and testosterone (T). Corneal morphological parameters, such as the central corneal thickness (CCT), thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), and maximum simulated keratometry (Kmax), were measured using Pentacam and Sirius.ResultsThe mean age was 23.73 ± 5.16 years for patients with KC and 23.68 ± 6.10 years for patients treated with laser vision correction (LVC). Among the patients with KC, 12 were female (19.35%) and 50 were male (80.65%). The majority of patients with KC were between 20 and 30 years old. In female patients, the concentration of T in the KC group was significantly lower than that in the LVC group (0.86 ± 0.33 vs. 1.18 ± 0.58 nmol/L; P = 0.044). There were positive correlations between T, CCT (r = 0.395, P = 0.023) and TCT (r = 0.378, P = 0.030) in female patients. In male patients, E2 was higher in the KC group than the LVC group (143.75 ± 34.82 vs. 124.80 ± 43.56 pmol/L; P = 0.013), while T was significantly lower (11.59 ± 2.85 vs. 13.58 ± 4.77 nmol/L; P = 0.026). A positive correlation was found between E2 and Kmax (r = 0.222, P = 0.007) in male patients.ConclusionsConclusively, our results showed that T level was reduced in both female and male KC plasma, while E2 was increased in male KC plasma. Different levels of sex hormones are correlated with KC, which, may provide the basis of a new technique for screening and diagnosing KC with or without the assistance of current imaging techniques. Moreover, the correlations between sex hormone alterations and KC provide compelling insight into KC etiopathogenesis.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations Between Keratoconus and the Level of Sex Hormones: A Cross-Sectional Study

et al. 2022

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“…Interestingly, the levels of salivary and plasma estriol and estrone were downregulated in KC patients when compared to controls, while dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were upregulated [53,86,87]. In addition, an alteration of the luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio was observed in KC patients, suggesting a role for gonadotropins in KC pathogenesis [88]. Lastly, prolactininduced protein (PIP), secreted by a number of normal apocrine cells, has been proposed as a marker for KC progression [78,86], as it is altered in several body fluids (e.g., aqueous humor, tear fluid, plasma, saliva) of KC patients.…”

Section: Sex Hormonesmentioning

confidence: 96%

Nutritional and Metabolic Imbalance in Keratoconus

et al. 2022

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Keratoconus (KC) is a progressive corneal degeneration characterized by structural changes consisting of progressive thinning and steepening of the cornea. These alterations result in biomechanical weakening and, clinically, in vision loss. While the etiology of KC has been the object of study for over a century, no single agent has been found. Recent reviews suggest that KC is a multifactorial disease that is associated with a wide variety of genetic and environmental factors. While KC is typically considered a disease of the cornea, associations with systemic conditions have been well described over the years. In particular, nutritional and metabolic imbalance, such as the redox status, hormones, metabolites, and micronutrients (vitamins and metal ions), can deeply influence KC initiation and progression. In this paper, we comprehensively review the different nutritional (vitamins and minerals) and metabolic (hormones and metabolites) factors that are altered in KC, discussing their possible implication in the pathophysiology of the disease.

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“…These studies provide supporting evidence that sex hormone receptors may be expressed by the human cornea. Other relevant hormones including luteinizing hormone receptor and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor are also expressed by human corneal stromal fibroblasts [ 25 ]. It is likely that events that affect systemic estrogen levels, such as menopause or hormone therapy, may influence the corneal stroma.…”

Section: Sex Hormones and Their Receptors In The Corneamentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Hormones, Growth Hormone, and the Cornea

McKay

Priyadarsini

Karamichos

2022

Cells

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The growth and maintenance of nearly every tissue in the body is influenced by systemic hormones during embryonic development through puberty and into adulthood. Of the ~130 different hormones expressed in the human body, steroid hormones and peptide hormones are highly abundant in circulation and are known to regulate anabolic processes and wound healing in a tissue-dependent manner. Of interest, differential levels of sex hormones have been associated with ocular pathologies, including dry eye disease and keratoconus. In this review, we discuss key studies that have revealed a role for androgens and estrogens in the cornea with focus on ocular surface homeostasis, wound healing, and stromal thickness. We also review studies of human growth hormone and insulin growth factor-1 in influencing ocular growth and epithelial regeneration. While it is unclear if endogenous hormones contribute to differential corneal wound healing in common animal models, the abundance of evidence suggests that systemic hormone levels, as a function of age, should be considered as an experimental variable in studies of corneal health and disease.

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Gonadotropins in Keratoconus: The Unexpected Suspects

Cited by 18 publications

References 40 publications

Associations Between Keratoconus and the Level of Sex Hormones: A Cross-Sectional Study

Associations Between Keratoconus and the Level of Sex Hormones: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nutritional and Metabolic Imbalance in Keratoconus

Sex Hormones, Growth Hormone, and the Cornea

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