Photoreceptor apoptoi in human retinal detachment

Purpoe Although photoreceptor cell apoptoi ha been demontrated in variou animal model of retinal detachment (RD), little i known about it occurrence in human RD. We ought to determine whether human photoreceptor cell undergo apoptoi in repone to primary and recurrent RD. Deign Propective, clinical-pathologic, cae erie. Method Retinal tiue fragment excied during the coure of vitreou urgery for RD and recurrent RD were frozen, cut into 4-μm ection, and analyzed uing a TdT-dUTP terminal nick-end labeling aay for cell apoptoi. The onet of patient ymptom wa ued to etimate the duration of the RD. Reult There were eight patient with primary RD and four patient with recurrent RD enrolled in thi tudy. Duration of RD ranged from 1 to 180 day in the primary RD group, and 2 to 15 day in the recurrent RD group. All retinal tiue pecimen had TUNEL-poitive cell localized to the outer nuclear layer of the retina, conitent with the localization of photoreceptor cell bodie. TUNEL-poitive cell were firt identified at 24 hour, peaked by 2 day, and dropped to a low level by 7 day after RD. Recurrent RD induced a greater number of TUNEL-poitive cell/mm2 in the ONL compared with primary RD at correponding timepoint after the onet of RD. Concluion In repone to primary and recurrent RD, human photoreceptor cell follow a pattern of apoptoi that i imilar to that een in animal model of RD. Thi tudy ugget that photoreceptor cell apoptoi may be one of the caue of reduced viion after RD, epecially thoe that involve the macula. Drug that inhibit photoreceptor apoptoi may help improve the final viual prognoi of patient with RD.