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Gene expression profiles of pro-inflammatory mediators in the conjunctiva of patients with epiblepharon

  • OCULOPLASTICS AND ORBIT
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A Correction to this article was published on 19 April 2021

This article has been updated

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the gene expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in the conjunctiva of pediatric patients with epiblepharon in a case-control study.

Methods

Twenty healthy controls and 15 pediatric patients with epiblepharon were enrolled from April 23, 2020 to June 15, 2020. Epiblepharon severity was divided into class I–III (least to moderate severity) and class IV (most severe). We obtained impression cytologic specimens from the medial palpebral conjunctiva of the participants to measure the gene expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), and mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The mean age in the epiblepharon group was 9 years (range 7.5–11 years), and that in the healthy control group was 9.5 years (range 8–11.3 years). IL-1β, IL-6, and MMP9 expression levels were 2.08 (p < 0.05), 2.11 (p < 0.05), and 2.48 (p < 0.05) fold higher, respectively, in the epiblepharon group than in the healthy control group. However, MUC5AC gene expression was not different between healthy subjects and patients with epiblepharon. IL-1β, IL-6, and MMP9 expression levels in class IV patients were 1.32 (p < 0.05), 1.77 (p < 0.05), and 1.98 (p < 0.05) fold higher, respectively, than in class I–III patients.

Conclusion

Epiblepharon may induce chronic inflammatory changes in the conjunctiva in addition to corneal epithelial damage. Therefore, early corrective surgery should be considered to prevent conjunctival inflammation.

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Data availability

Any data not presented in the manuscript are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.co.kr) for English language editing.

Funding

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (No. 2018R1C1B6008748).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Yongin Severance Hospital, The Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea

    Bo Ram Kim, Yuri Seo & Jin Sook Yoon

  2. Department of Biochemical Engineering, Seoil University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Hyun Jung Lee

  3. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Catholic Institute for Visual Science, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, #505 Banpo-Dong, Seocho-Gu, Seoul, 137-040, Republic of Korea

    So-Hyang Chung

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  1. Bo Ram Kim
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Correspondence to So-Hyang Chung or Jin Sook Yoon.

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The study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the College of Medicine, Yonsei University.

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Supplementary Information

ESM 1

Classification of epiblepharon according to the severity of corneal erosion. a, Class I corneal erosion, no corneal erosion (1 eye). b, Class II corneal erosion, less than the medial one third of the cornea is eroded (10 eyes). c, Class III corneal erosion, more than medial one third of the cornea is eroded (4 eyes). (PNG 146 kb)

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Kim, B.R., Seo, Y., Lee, H.J. et al. Gene expression profiles of pro-inflammatory mediators in the conjunctiva of patients with epiblepharon. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 259, 2027–2033 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-021-05089-0

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