Gonadotropins in Keratoconus: The Unexpected Suspects

Cells

Dimitrios Karamichos¹  Sashia Bak-Nielsen²  Jesper Hjortdal²  Lyly Van³  Brayden Barrientez³  Sarah Nicholas³  Symon Ma³ 

[1] Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA;Department of Ophthalmology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 167, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark;Department of Ophthalmology/Dean McGee Eye Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA;

关键词: keratoconus;    gonadotropins;    hormonal imbalance;    corneal dystrophy;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cells8121494

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Keratoconus (KC) is the most common ectatic corneal disease with a significant visual acuity burden. The actual burden is intangible given that KC can disrupt daily activities (reading, driving, and various career paths). Despite decades of research and clinical studies, the etiology, onset, and pathobiology of KC remain a mystery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of gonadotropins in KC. We recruited 86 KC patients (63 males, 23 female), and 45 healthy controls (22 male, 23 female). Plasma samples were collected and analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Corneal stromal cells from KC and healthy controls, and human epithelial corneal cells, were also investigated for gonadotropin-related markers. Our results show significant alterations of LH/FSH in KCs, compared to healthy controls. Our data also reveals, for the first time, the existence of gonadotropins and their receptors in KC. Our study is the first to demonstrate the role of LH/FSH in KCs, and expand the list of organs known to express gonadotropins, or their receptors, to include the human cornea. Our findings suggest that the human cornea is capable of responding to gonadotropins, and propose an intriguing mechanism for the onset and/or progression of KC.

【 授权许可】

Unknown