The Role of E-Cadherin in Maintaining the Barrier Function of Corneal Epithelium after Treatment with Cultured Autologous Oral Mucosa Epithelial Cell Sheet Grafts for Limbal Stem Deficiency

Figure 2

Immunofluorescent staining analyzing epithelial barrier and proliferation markers of CAOMECS (a to h) and control oral mucosal tissue sections (i to l). In green (magnification ×40) (a) and (i) are E-cadherin (arrow), (b) is N-cadherin, (c) is beta-catenin, and (d) is ZO-1. Nuclear staining is achieved using DAPI (blue) or propidium iodide (red). In green (magnification ×40), (e) and (j) are Cnx43 (arrow), (g) and (k) (magnification ×20) are DeltaNp63, and (h) and (l) are Ki-67 (arrow). (f) A staining for CK4 in green (magnification ×40). (m) is an H&E staining of CAOMECS.

(a) E-cadherin

(b) N-cadherin

(c) Beta-catenin

(d) ZO-1

(e) Cnx43

(f) CK4

(g) DeltaNp63

(h) Ki-67

(i) E-cadherin

(j) Cnx43

(k) DeltaNp63

(l) Ki-67

(m) CAOMECS H&E