Table 1.

Quantitative expression analysis of the ECM components showing a positive staining signal using histochemical and immunohistochemical methods in control human native corneas (CTR-C), control human native scleral limbi (CTR-L), and human artificial corneas (HAC). INT, signal intensity for each analysis method; AF, area fraction (percentage of tissue area occupied by positive signal for each analysis method). Columns to the left show averages and standard deviations, whereas statistical p values for the pairwise comparisons are shown to the right. PSR, picrosirius red histochemical method for collagen fibers; COL-I, immunohistochemistry for type-I collagen; AB, alcian blue histochemistry for proteoglycans; DCN, immunohistochemistry for decorin; KER, immunohistochemistry for keratocan; LUM, immunohistochemistry for lumican. Statistically significant differences are highlighted with asterisks (*)

		CTR-C	CTR-L	HAC	CTR-C vs. CTR-L	CTR-C vs. HAC	CTR-L vs. HAC
PSR	INT	122.93 ± 26.12	69.53 ± 33.08	20.00 ± 0.00	0.0001*	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*
	AF	88.19 ± 5.25	33.76 ± 14.36	1.79 ± 0.90	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*
COL-I	INT	48.07 ± 24.94	25.80 ± 23.99	8.20 ± 4.55	0.0164*	< 0.0001*	0.0367*
	AF	21.39 ± 4.27	11.05 ± 6.68	2.51 ± 2.85	0.0001*	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*
AB	INT	54.13 ± 11.23	45.67 ± 27.99	20.60 ± 10.89	0.4363	< 0.0001*	0.0128*
	AF	67.06 ± 6.41	42.03 ± 7.63	13.50 ± 4.59	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*
DCN	INT	74.47 ± 26.26	92.27 ± 52.63	24.87 ± 16.92	0.4124	< 0.0001*	0.0001*
	AF	63.80 ± 3.86	47.85 ± 11.25	2.49 ± 2.94	0.0002*	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*
KER	INT	122.87 ± 26.16	74.13 ± 17.08	22.40 ± 12.16	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*
	AF	99.08 ± 0.60	54.70 ± 11.59	2.86 ± 4.80	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*
LUM	INT	95.33 ± 19.51	107.27 ± 15.67	46.2 ± 15.63	0.0675	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*
	AF	92.24 ± 3.36	83.68 ± 11.46	10.27 ± 2.51	0.0453*	< 0.0001*	< 0.0001*