Satoru Kase

alphaB-crystallin is a chaperone belonging to the small heat shock protein family. Herein we show attenuation of intraocular angiogenesis in alphaB-crystallin knockout (alphaB-crystallin(-/-)) mice in 2 models of intraocular disease: oxygen-induced retinopathy and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) mRNA and hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha protein expression were induced during retinal angiogenesis, but VEGF-A protein expression remained low

PPV with inverted ILM flap technique achieved 100% closure rates with favorable configuration at an initial surgery in large MHs. Our histopathological data also suggest that even BBG staining-negative membrane may be a useful material for autologous transplantation to the hole.

It is suggested that pterygium growth and development are associated with the proliferation of epithelium, which is possibly involved in the expression of cell cycle-related molecules.

Cell block specimens using diluted vitreous fluid demonstrated a high diagnostic sensitivity and a low pseudo-positive rate for the cytological diagnosis of VRL. The cell block method contributed to clear differentiation between VRL and idiopathic uveitis with vitreous opacity.

Thrombin-cleaved and noncleaved vitreous OPN levels in patients with DR were increased compared with control subjects, suggesting that OPN plays a potential role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinal ischemia.

This study demonstrated that CCT was significantly decreased in the presence of mild/moderate NPDR in the no treatment group, suggesting that a continuously high blood sugar state caused by insufficient treatments for DM may facilitate vascular damage in the choroid in the early stage of DR.

The total and outer CCT layers of diabetic eyes were significantly thickened in the DME+DT-as compared with the DME-DT+group, suggesting that CCT may be related to the pathology of DME.

These results suggest that the high-level infiltration of T lymphocytes into the PDR membrane is well correlated with poor visual prognosis. Histopathologic observation of the epiretinal membrane in patients with PDR may provide significant prognostic information.

Cyclin D1 and PCNA were expressed in the idiopathic ERM, which was mainly derived from Müller cells and extensions of their processes.

EpoR was strongly expressed in microvessels of all PDR membranes. The in vivo evidence in this study suggests that Epo in the vitreous binds to EpoR in PDR membranes, which subsequently leads to the proliferation of new retinal vessels. EpoR immunoreactivity in non-vascular stromal cells in PDR membranes, and IERMs and ILMs might be indirectly correlated with ischaemia.

We recently demonstrated that αA-crystallin, a molecular chaperone, protected photoreceptors from apoptotic signals in intraocular inflammation. Advanced glycation end product (AGE) plays an important role in the progression of diabetic retinopathy. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of α-crystallins and apoptosis in human diabetic retina, and to analyze α-crystallin up-regulation in murine eyes after AGE stimulation. Eight eye globes were obtained from postmortem donors. Six ou

The Fas ligand (FasL) and its receptor Fas play a key role in the initiation of an apoptotic pathway. We describe the expression of Fas receptor and ligand pair antigens in surgical samples collected from a cohot of 89 patients compared with 89 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), 45 dysplasias and 42 normal mucosae of the esophagus. TUNEL method was performed in 89 SCCs. Evaluation of FasL on normal mucosae displayed a heterogeneous immunoreaction in a minority of specimens, whereas SCCs exhibited

HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin, but not alphaA-crystallin, were highly expressed in viable tumour cells after chemotherapy, suggesting that HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin may protect tumour cells from apoptotic signals produced by anticancer drugs in retinoblastoma.