Transforming growth factor-β/Smad - signalling pathway and conjunctival remodelling in vernal keratoconjunctivitis

• Published in: Clinical and experimental allergy Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 52 - 60
• Main Authors: Leonardi, A., Di Stefano, A., Motterle, L., Zavan, B., Abatangelo, G., Brun, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2011; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Conjunctiva - immunology; Conjunctivitis, Allergic - diagnosis; Conjunctivitis, Allergic - genetics; Conjunctivitis, Allergic - immunology; Diseases of cornea, anterior segment and sclera; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; histamine; Humans; Indexing in process; Male; Medical sciences; Models, Immunological; Ophthalmology; remodelling; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - immunology; Signal Transduction - immunology; Smad; Smad Proteins - genetics; Smad Proteins - immunology; TGF-β; Transforming Growth Factor beta - genetics; Transforming Growth Factor beta - immunology; vernal keratoconjunctivitis; vernal keratoconjunctivitis; Smad protein; Transforming growth factor β; remodelling; Keratopathy; Conjunctiva disease; Conjunctiva; Remodeling; Histamine; Eye disease; Keratoconjunctivitis; Immunology; Signaling pathway; TGF-β; Smad; Anterior segment disease

Summary Background Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic ocular allergic inflammation characterized by corneal complications and the formation of giant papillae. Sma‐ and Mad‐related proteins (Smad) modulate extracellular matrix gene expression during wound healing, inflammation and tissue...