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1 From the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago.
PURPOSE. Keratoconus is a progressive disease that thins and scars the corneal
stroma. In keratoconus corneas, levels of degradative enzymes,
including lysosomal acid phosphatase (LAP) and cathepsin B, are
elevated, and those of the inhibitors
1-proteinase inhibitor
(
1-PI) and
2-macroglobulin (
2-M) are reduced, especially in
the epithelial layer. An increased expression of the transcription
factor Sp1 was also demonstrated. The role of Sp1 in regulation of the
genes affected in keratoconus was examined in this study.
METHODS. DNA segments, containing 5'-flanking promoter sequences of the
1-PI,
LAP, cathepsin B, and
2-M genes were ligated into the secreted
alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reporter gene vector. These constructs,
along with the pSVß-galactosidase control vector, were transfected
into cultured human corneal epithelial and stromal cells and skin
fibroblasts. Cotransfection with the Sp1 expression vector was
performed in parallel. SEAP and ß-galactosidase enzyme activities
were assayed.
RESULTS. In corneal epithelial cells, as in stromal cells,
1-PI promoter
activity was suppressed by cotransfection of pPacSp1. The LAP,
cathepsin B, and
2-M promoters were functional in corneal cells,
whereas activities of these promoters were much lower in skin
fibroblasts. Cotransfection experiments indicated that the up- or
downregulation of LAP, cathepsin B, and
2-M observed in
keratoconus-affected corneas was not mediated by Sp1.
CONCLUSIONS. These results support the theory that the corneal epithelium, along
with the stroma, is involved in keratoconus. An upstream role of Sp1 is
indicated and the Sp1-mediated downregulation of the
1-PI gene may
be a key event in the disease development.
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