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Apoptotic factors (Bcl-2 and Bax) and diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes

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Abstract

The expression of apoptotic factors Bcl-2 and Bax were studied in the conjunctiva of diabetic patients with and without retinopathy. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination including ocular fundus and retinal fluorescein angiography. The indirect immunoperoxidase method was performed on 15 normal conjunctiva taken during cataract surgery (group 1), on 40 eyes of 40 patients with type 2 diabetes without diabetic retinopathy (group 2) and 13 eyes of 13 patients with diabetic retinopathy (group 3). In normal human conjunctiva, Bax showed positive expression in epithelial, vascular and stromal cells whereas Bcl-2 staining was negative. In the conjunctiva of diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy, Bax was widely, and strongly, expressed in epithelial cells, vascular endothelial cells, fibroblasts and infiltrating cells such as macrophages. For patients with diabetic retinopathy, Bax was consistently strong to very strong. Bcl-2 protein expression became weak to negative for diabetic patients both with and without diabetic retinopathy. Immunoreactivity was not correlated between Bcl-2 and Bax in the conjunctiva of diabetic patients. Bax was always localized in tissues characterized by a high rate of apoptosis, whereas, Bcl-2 was absent. Our results suggest that diabetic human conjunctiva, with its inflammatory phenomena, is considered as a privileged target for programmed cell death.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service d’ophtalmologie, hôpital Charles-Nicolle, boulevard du 9-Avril, 1006, Tunis, Tunisia

    Taoufik Khalfaoui & Amel Ouertani-Meddeb

  2. CIHR Team on the Digestive Epithelium, Département d’anatomie et biologie cellulaire, Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 5N4, Canada

    Taoufik Khalfaoui & Nuria Basora

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  1. Taoufik Khalfaoui
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Correspondence to Taoufik Khalfaoui.

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Khalfaoui, T., Basora, N. & Ouertani-Meddeb, A. Apoptotic factors (Bcl-2 and Bax) and diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes. J Mol Hist 41, 143–152 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-010-9271-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-010-9271-9

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