Morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the equine corneal epithelium

OBJECTIVE: The morphology of the corneal epithelium in two age groups of horses is described. Distribution patterns of proliferation-, differentiation-, stem cell-associated markers and cell junction proteins were assessed. METHODS: Corneal samples from 12 horses (six foals and six adult horses) were analyzed after HE only TJP1 was additionally seen at the basal surface. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a systematic semiquantitative evaluation of the equine corneal epithelium, showing the presence of crypts as potential stem cell niche with CK 14, p63, NGF, and ABCG2 as relevant markers for cells with regenerative capacity. The pseudostratified arrangement of the basal layer was a unique finding.