DNA microarray-based gene expression profiling in porcine keratocytes and corneal endothelial cells and comparative analysis associated with xeno-related rejection

J Korean Med Sci. 2009 Apr;24(2):189-96. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2009.24.2.189. Epub 2009 Apr 20.

Abstract

Porcine to rat corneal xenotransplantation resulted in severe inflammation and rejection of the corneal stroma, whereas an allograft showed mainly endothelial cell-associated rejection. We, therefore, investigated and compared the gene expression between porcine keratocytes and corneal endothelial cells. RNA was isolated from primary cultured porcine or human keratocytes and porcine corneal endothelial cells. Gene expression was comparatively analyzed after normalization with microarray method using Platinum pig 13 K oligo chip (GenoCheck Co., Ltd., Ansan, Korea). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for C1R, CCL2, CXCL6, and HLA-A in porcine keratocytes and corneal endothelial cells. As a result, upregulated expression more than 2 folds was observed in 1,162 genes of porcine keratocytes versus porcine endothelial cells. Among the immune-regulatory genes, SEMA3C, CCL2, CXCL6, F3, HLA-A, CD97, IFI30, C1R, and G1P3 were highly expressed in porcine keratocytes, compared to porcine corneal endothelial cells or human keratocytes. When measured by real-time PCR, the expression of C1R, CCL2, and HLA-A was higher in porcine keratocytes compared to that in porcine corneal endothelial cells. In conclusion, the increased expression of C1R, CCL2, and HLA-A genes in porcine keratocytes might be responsible for the stromal rejection observed in a porcine to rat corneal xenotransplantation.

Keywords: Cornea; Microarray analysis; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Porcine; Transplantation, Heterologous.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chemokine CCL2 / metabolism
  • Complement C1r / metabolism
  • Corneal Transplantation / immunology*
  • Corneal Transplantation / pathology
  • Endothelium, Corneal / metabolism*
  • Endothelium, Corneal / pathology
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Graft Rejection / immunology*
  • Graft Rejection / pathology
  • HLA-A Antigens / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Keratinocytes / metabolism*
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Rats
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Swine
  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Chemokine CCL2
  • HLA-A Antigens
  • Complement C1r