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Human anterior lens epithelium in presenile cataract‐ scanning and transmission electron microscopy study
Author(s) -
Andjelic S.,
Drašlar K.,
Hvala A.,
Hawlina M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2016.0557
Subject(s) - cataracts , lens (geology) , epithelium , basement membrane , cataract surgery , anatomy , medicine , ophthalmology , pathology , biology , paleontology
Purpose Presenile cataracts, including juvenile and congenital cataract, are rare. As a presenile cataract is considered a subcapsular senile cataract in a person under 45 years of age. Clinical examination before the cataract surgery showed the subcapsular changes in the opacity on the anterior lens. The purpose was to study the structure of the lens epithelial cells (LECs) of presenile cataract in order to investigate possible structural reasons for its development. Methods The anterior lens capsule (aLC: basement membrane and associated lens epithelial cells) were obtained from cataract surgery and prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results We present the results of the SEM and TEM study of the anterior lens epithelium. The most prominent abnormal features observed by SEM for all studied presenile cataract patients were the changes of the LECs structure with the dents on the apical side centrally toward the nucleus. The individual LECs or smaller regions of lens epithelium are damaged with the several lesions of this type that are present diffusely. TEM also showed the thinning of the lens epithelium with the segmentally concave cells and the compressed and elongated nucleuses. Conclusions Abnormal, distinguishable structural features were observed in the anterior lens epithelium LECs in presenile cataract patients. Disturbed structure of LECs may play a role in water accumulation in the presenile cataract lens. We suggest that the presence of LECs with damaged nucleuses may be associated with the genetic/congenital origin of the presenile cataracts.