Epithelial regeneration after limbus-to-limbus debridement. Expression of alpha-enolase in stem and transient amplifying cells.

Abstract

These data indicate that expression of alpha-enolase is elevated during corneal epithelial migration initiating from the stem (limbal basal) cell population and that expression is linked to active migration. Furthermore, it appears that limbal basal cells are metabolically active during the period of epithelial sheet movement, whereas peripheral corneal basal cells remain activated as long as 4 weeks after wounding.