Analysis of connexin 43 gene expression and protein levels in pterygium

Pterygium is a wing-shaped abnormal epitelyal and fibrovascular growth of the conjunctiva across the limbus onto the cornea. At the same time, It can be said that, a pterygium is a proliferative, invasive, and highly vascularized tissue pathologically. Pterygium also has cancer like properties. These properties can be listed as follows; cell proliferation, invasion, and recurrence after resection. The pathogenesis of this disease remains unclear, although the most widely recognized originating factor is ultraviolet radiation. Recent studies have suggested that molecular changes in pterygiums may have a mechanism similar to tumor cells. There are studies in which adnexin interacts directly with proteins involved in the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis, and in this way regulates cell growth. Connexins (CX) function as responsible for the formation of gap junction channels, which are inter-cell junction units. These connections play an important role in the direct exchange of ions between secondary messengers and small signal molecules between cells, in the regulation of growth, differentiation and development in tissue homeostasis. The most important feature of these junctional regions seen in almost every mammalian cell type is the intercellular communication. In our study, In pterygium and normal conjunctival tissues of 26 pterygium cases connexin 43 (CX43) gene expression and CX43 protein level were investigated with Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR) and Western Blotting, respectively. According to our results, there were no statistically significant differences in CX43 gene expression level and protein content between pterygium and normal conjunctiva tissues (p> 0.05). In pterygium, the CX43 gene expression can't a risk factor.