Table 3.

Changes in Gene Expression in Diabetic and DR Corneas Revealed by RT-PCR

Gene	Normal	Diabetic	DR
α1 laminin
Whole cornea	0.08 ± 0.02	0.20 ± 0.04*	0.23 ± 0.06*
Epithelium	0.29 ± 0.1	0.07 ± 0.03*‡	0.25 ± 0.06
α5 laminin
Whole cornea	ND	ND	ND
Epithelium	0.42 ± 0.08	0.41 ± 0.08	0.35 ± 0.07
β1 laminin
Whole cornea	0.10 ± 0.01	0.20 ± 0.02*	0.20 ± 0.03*
Epithelium	0.61 ± 0.10	0.80 ± 0.05	0.78 ± 0.08
Nidogen-1/entactin
Whole cornea	0.13 ± 0.06	0.45 ± 0.05*	0.49 ± 0.11*
Epithelium	0.35 ± 0.18	0.70 ± 0.17	0.70 ± 0.20
α3 integrin
Whole cornea	0.11 ± 0.02	0.26 ± 0.01*	0.24 ± 0.04*
Epithelium	0.41 ± 0.11	0.47 ± 0.07	0.54 ± 0.07
β1 integrin
Whole cornea	0.05 ± 0.01	0.14 ± 0.01*	0.12 ± 0.02*
Epithelium	0.34 ± 0.07	0.37 ± 0.06	0.43 ± 0.04
MMP-2†
Stroma	0.11 ± 0.03	0.56 ± 0.05*	0.41 ± 0.08*
MMP-3†
Stroma	0.09 ± 0.02	1.10 ± 0.45*	1.74 ± 0.32*
MMP-10
Epithelium	0.35 ± 0.24	0.87 ± 0.24	1.28 ± 0.14*
Stroma	0.07 ± 0.06	0.77 ± 0.15*	0.38 ± 0.13*
MMP-14
Epithelium	ND	ND	ND
Stroma	1.60 ± 0.29	1.66 ± 0.09	1.99 ± 0.36
TIMP-1
Epithelium	0.19 ± 0.07	0.21 ± 0.04	0.24 ± 0.07
Stroma	1.41 ± 0.91	2.03 ± 0.63	1.62 ± 0.10
TIMP-2
Epithelium	1.42 ± 0.16	0.98 ± 0.18	1.27 ± 0.14
Stroma	1.73 ± 0.79	1.97 ± 0.71	1.58 ± 0.10
TIMP-3
Epithelium	0.28 ± 0.07	0.32 ± 0.05	0.38 ± 0.03
Stroma	1.29 ± 0.26	0.84 ± 0.19	0.72 ± 0.19
Cathepsin V/L2
Epithelium	0.66 ± 0.05	0.64 ± 0.06	0.50 ± 0.13
Stroma	0.98 ± 0.84	0.38 ± 0.18	0.12 ± 0.11
u-PA
Epithelium	0.45 ± 0.17	0.42 ± 0.07	0.52 ± 0.12
Stroma	0.40 ± 0.40	0.44 ± 0.14	0.25 ± 0.09
t-PA
Epithelium	0.66 ± 0.17	0.69 ± 0.08	0.76 ± 0.13
Stroma	0.80 ± 0.45	0.66 ± 0.23	0.60 ± 0.14

Each number (mean ± standard error) represents a Southern blot band intensity of a given gene’s RT-PCR product relative to the respective β₂-microglobulin band intensity.

*Statistically significant when compared to normal group.

^†No product was detected in the epithelium.

^‡Significant decrease due to several negative samples (Fig. 1) ▶ .

u-PA, urokinase; t-PA, tissue plasminogen activator; ND, not done.