81
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
0 collections
    0
    shares
      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: found
      Is Open Access

      The Genetic and Environmental Factors for Keratoconus

      review-article

      Read this article at

      Bookmark
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          Keratoconus (KC) is the most common cornea ectatic disorder. It is characterized by a cone-shaped thin cornea leading to myopia, irregular astigmatism, and vision impairment. It affects all ethnic groups and both genders. Both environmental and genetic factors may contribute to its pathogenesis. This review is to summarize the current research development in KC epidemiology and genetic etiology. Environmental factors include but are not limited to eye rubbing, atopy, sun exposure, and geography. Genetic discoveries have been reviewed with evidence from family-based linkage analysis and fine mapping in linkage region, genome-wide association studies, and candidate genes analyses. A number of genes have been discovered at a relatively rapid pace. The detailed molecular mechanism underlying KC pathogenesis will significantly advance our understanding of KC and promote the development of potential therapies.

          Related collections

          Most cited references273

          • Record: found
          • Abstract: found
          • Article: not found

          Keratoconus: a review.

          Keratoconus is the most common primary ectasia. It usually occurs in the second decade of life and affects both genders and all ethnicities. The estimated prevalence in the general population is 54 per 100,000. Ocular signs and symptoms vary depending on disease severity. Early forms normally go unnoticed unless corneal topography is performed. Disease progression is manifested with a loss of visual acuity which cannot be compensated for with spectacles. Corneal thinning frequently precedes ectasia. In moderate and advance cases, a hemosiderin arc or circle line, known as Fleischer's ring, is frequently seen around the cone base. Vogt's striaes, which are fine vertical lines produced by Descemet's membrane compression, is another characteristic sign. Most patients eventually develop corneal scarring. Munson's sign, a V-shape deformation of the lower eyelid in downward position; Rizzuti's sign, a bright reflection from the nasal area of the limbus when light is directed to the limbus temporal area; and breakages in Descemet's membrane causing acute stromal oedema, known as hydrops, are observed in advanced stages. Classifications based on morphology, disease evolution, ocular signs and index-based systems of keratoconus have been proposed. Theories into the genetic, biomechanical and biochemical causes of keratoconus have been suggested. Management varies depending on disease severity. Incipient cases are managed with spectacles, mild to moderate cases with contact lenses and severe cases can be treated with keratoplasty. This article provides a review on the definition, epidemiology, clinical features, classification, histopathology, aetiology and pathogenesis, and management and treatment strategies for keratoconus. 2010 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
            Bookmark
            • Record: found
            • Abstract: found
            • Article: not found

            Keratoconus and related noninflammatory corneal thinning disorders

            Keratoconus and other noninflammatory corneal thinning disorders (keratoglobus, pellucid marginal degeneration and posterior keratoconus) are characterized by progressive corneal thinning, protrusion and scarring; the result is distorted and decreased vision. The etiology and pathogenesis of these disorders are unknown but may be associated with a variety of factors, including contact lens wear, eye rubbing, Down's syndrome, atopic disease, connective tissue disease, tapetoretinal degeneration and inheritance. Recent advances in techniques for biochemical and pathological investigation are now allowing further exploration in these areas. Early diagnosis is aided by the finding of irregular corneal astigmatism with inferior corneal steepening. Treatment ranges from simple spectacle correction to keratoplasty. In this review, the past and present literature on corneal thinning disorders is reviewed and practical approaches to diagnosis and management are outlined.
              Bookmark
              • Record: found
              • Abstract: found
              • Article: not found

              Keratoconus.

              Keratoconus is a bilateral noninflammatory corneal ectasia with an incidence of approximately 1 per 2,000 in the general population. It has well-described clinical signs, but early forms of the disease may go undetected unless the anterior corneal topography is studied. Early disease is now best detected with videokeratography. Classic histopathologic features include stromal thinning, iron deposition in the epithelial basement membrane, and breaks in Bowman's layer. Keratoconus is most commonly an isolated disorder, although several reports describe an association with Down syndrome, Leber's congenital amaurosis, and mitral valve prolapse. The differential diagnosis of keratoconus includes keratoglobus, pellucid marginal degeneration and Terrien's marginal degeneration. Contact lenses are the most common treatment modality. When contact lenses fail, corneal transplant is the best and most successful surgical option. Despite intensive clinical and laboratory investigation, the etiology of keratoconus remains unclear. Clinical studies provide strong indications of a major role for genes in its etiology. Videokeratography is playing an increasing role in defining the genetics of keratoconus, since early forms of the disease can be more accurately detected and potentially quantified in a reproducible manner. Laboratory studies suggest a role for degradative enzymes and proteinase inhibitors and a possible role for the interleukin-1 system in its pathogenesis, but these roles need to be more clearly defined. Genes suggested by these studies, as well as collagen genes and their regulatory products, could potentially be used as candidate genes to study patients with familial keratoconus. Such studies may provide the clues needed to enable us to better understand the underlying mechanisms that cause the corneal thinning in this disorder.
                Bookmark

                Author and article information

                Journal
                Biomed Res Int
                Biomed Res Int
                BMRI
                BioMed Research International
                Hindawi Publishing Corporation
                2314-6133
                2314-6141
                2015
                17 May 2015
                : 2015
                : 795738
                Affiliations
                1Department of Optometry and Vision Science, Hadassah Academic College, 9101001 Jerusalem, Israel
                2School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
                3Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, The Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
                Author notes

                Academic Editor: Hao Deng

                Article
                10.1155/2015/795738
                4449900
                26075261
                d70b213e-1868-4a72-ba4c-97f2edf0dedc
                Copyright © 2015 Ariela Gordon-Shaag et al.

                This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 9 October 2014
                : 8 January 2015
                : 9 January 2015
                Categories
                Review Article

                Comments

                Comment on this article