{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]],"date-time":"2026-04-21T15:11:11Z","timestamp":1776784271818,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,27]],"date-time":"2024-06-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1719446400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Health","award":["RC2788871"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RC2788871"]}]},{"name":"Italian Ministry of Health","award":["RC2788868"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RC2788868"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Age and sex are the most significant risk of factors for advanced Fuchs dystrophy. Nevertheless, few data are available on the hormone\u2019s receptor pattern expressed in adult and advanced fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). We investigated the impact of gender, growth factors and extracellular matrix (ECM) regulatory proteins expressed by the dystrophic endothelia. Methods: Ten dystrophic endothelial tissues and 10 normal endothelial sheets (corneoscleral specimens; Eye Bank) were used for this characterization study. Hormones\u2019 receptors (ER\u03b1, AR, PR, SHBG), few growth factors (VEGFA, \u03b2NGF, TGF\u03b21), some ECM regulators (MMP1, MMP7) and few inflammatory cytokines (IFN\u03b3, IL10) were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR. Results: ER\u03b1 transcripts were significantly increased, AR and SHBG transcripts were decreased in Fuchs endothelia from female patients, and no changes were detected for PR transcripts. VEGFA, \u03b2NGF and TGF\u03b21 transcripts were upregulated in Fuchs\u2019 endothelia, but not significantly linked to gender. High MMP1 and low MMP7 transcripts\u2019 expression were detected in Fuchs\u2019 specimens, mainly in males than females. An increased IFN\u03b3 (Th1) transcript expression was observed in females than males, and a trend to increase for IL10 (Th2) transcripts was detected in males than females. Conclusions: Our findings clearly indicate that hormone receptors, growth factors and matrix mediators as well as a Th1 pathway are predominant in Fuchs\u2019 dystrophy, displaying a pattern of expression specific for the female phenotype. The differential expression of hormones\u2019 receptors and the Th1\/Th2 ratio might prompt to new theories to be tested in vitro and in vivo models, such as the use of hormonal substitute for counteracting this endothelial cell lost.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13133787","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,27]],"date-time":"2024-06-27T13:26:43Z","timestamp":1719494803000},"page":"3787","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Expression of Hormones\u2019 Receptors in Human Corneal Endothelium from Fuchs\u2019 Dystrophy: A Possible Gender\u2019 Association"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5919-9697","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria","family":"De Piano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research and Development Laboratory for Biochemical, Molecular and Cellular Applications in Ophthalmological Science, IRCCS-Fondazione Bietti, 00184 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Irene","family":"Abicca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IRCCS-Fondazione Bietti, 00184 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5636-0019","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valentin","family":"Dinu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy \u201cCarol Davila\u201d, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8083-3437","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna Maria","family":"Roszkowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ophthalmology Clinic, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98124 Messina, Italy"},{"name":"Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski University, 30-705 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9375-6071","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandra","family":"Micera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research and Development Laboratory for Biochemical, Molecular and Cellular Applications in Ophthalmological Science, IRCCS-Fondazione Bietti, 00184 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Domenico","family":"Schiano-Lomoriello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IRCCS-Fondazione Bietti, 00184 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"859","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ophtha.2010.03.001","article-title":"One hundred years of Fuchs\u2019 dystrophy","volume":"117","author":"Jun","year":"2010","journal-title":"Ophthalmology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1016\/S1542-0124(12)70232-X","article-title":"Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy","volume":"8","author":"Elhalis","year":"2010","journal-title":"Ocul. 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