Table 4.
Proteins that serve as biomarkers in keratoconus and their genes
| Proteins | Gene [reference] |
|---|---|
| COL8A1 | COL8A1 [40] |
| COL8A2 | COL8A2 [40] |
| Basal corneal cells | |
| Collagen type XII | COL12A1 [35, 41] |
| Collagen type XIII | COL13A1 [35, 41] |
| Collagen type XVIII | COL18A1 [35, 41] |
| Collagen type XV | COL15A1 [35, 41] |
| IL1A | IL1A [119, 126, 127] |
| IL1B | IL1B [119, 126, 127] |
| SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) | SPARC [81–83] |
| Human leukocyte antigen | 81–83 |
| TIMPs | TIMP [68, 81, 142] |
| SLC4A11 (sodium bicarbonate transporter-like protein 11) | SLC4A11 [91, 92] |
| AQP5 (water channel protein aquaporin 5) | AQP5 [93] |