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Anterior lens epithelium in intumescent white cataracts - scanning and transmission electron microscopy study

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Abstract

Purpose

Our purpose was to study the structure of the lens epithelial cells (LECs) of intumescent white cataracts (IC) in comparison with nuclear cataracts (NC) in order to investigate possible structural reasons for development of IC.

Methods

The anterior lens capsule (aLC: basement membrane and associated LECs) were obtained from cataract surgery and prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Results

We observed by SEM that in IC, LEC swelling was pronounced with the clefts surrounding the groups of LECs. Another structural feature was spherical formations, that were observed on the apical side of LEC’s, towards the fibre cell layer, both by SEM and TEM. Development of these structures, bulging out from the apical cell membrane of the LEC’s and disrupting it, could be followed in steps towards the sphere formation. The degeneration of the lens epithelium and the structures of the aLC in IC similar to Morgagnian globules were also observed. None of these structural changes were observed in NC.

Conclusions

We show by SEM and TEM that, in IC, LECs have pronounced structural features not observed in NC. This supports the hypothesis that the disturbed structure of LECs plays a role in water accumulation in the IC lens. We also suggest that, in IC, LECs produce bulging spheres that represent unique structures of degenerated material, extruded from the LEC.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre, Grablovičeva 46, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Sofija Andjelic & Marko Hawlina

  2. Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Kazimir Drašlar

  3. Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Anastazija Hvala

Authors
  1. Sofija Andjelic
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  2. Kazimir Drašlar
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  3. Anastazija Hvala
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  4. Marko Hawlina
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marko Hawlina.

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Funding

The Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) provided financial support in the form of program P3-0333 funding.

The sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

Conflict of interest

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Andjelic, S., Drašlar, K., Hvala, A. et al. Anterior lens epithelium in intumescent white cataracts - scanning and transmission electron microscopy study. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 254, 269–276 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-015-3220-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-015-3220-y

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