Tissue Transglutaminase In Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy

ObjectivesProliferative vitreoretinopathy ( PVR) is the major complication of rhegmat-ogenous retinal detachment. It is characteri2;ed by the formation of scarlike fibro-cellular membranes in the vitreous space, on the retinal surface and in the sub-retinal space. The process contains the proliferation of cells and the accumulation of extracellular matrix ( ECM) components. The mechanism of PVR is not clear.Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is capable of cross - linking ECM proteins to proteolysis - resistant complexes. It has important functions in ECM accumulation and scar formation. At present it is not known whether tTG takes part in the process of PVR. The present study is designed to investigate PVR epiretinal membranes and retinal pigment epithelium ( RPE) cells which is thought to be a key element in PVR formation for the expression of tTG, and discuss whether tTG is involved in PVR. It may provide a theoretic basis of pathogenesis and effective treatments of PVR.Methods1. materials; 21 samples of epiretinal membranes were obtained from patients with PVR involved previous rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. 8 samples were at C stage of PVR, 13 samples are at D stage. 6 eye balls were the normal dorner eyes after keratoplasty within 8h post death. Human RPE cells were collected to cultivate by the trypsin. 15 PVR vitreous samples were obtained from patients suffered from PVR. 6 normal vitreous samples were obtained from keratoplasty donor eyes. Monoclonal mouse anti - human tTG and immunohistochem-...