Jornal de Patologia Cirúrgica e Diagnóstico

Short Communication on Structural Polymorphisms Observed in Exfoliation Syndrome Fibrils

Abstract

Mehdi Ghaffari Sharaf, Karim F Damji and Larry D Unsworth

 Exfoliation syndrome is generally considered an age-related ocular disease that presents with a progressive accumulation of fibrillar aggregates in the human eye. A range of risk factors have been identified that are commonly associated with XFS, including a variety of cellular pathways. However, the exact mechanism of this disease is unknown. In contrast to existing literature, it was recently shown that a variety of structural features exist within these fibrillar aggregates associated with exfoliation syndrome. This hithertofore unknown diversity in fibrillar structures suggests that multiple pathways could exist that contribute to the progression of XFS. Herein, we address these recent findings on the diversity of structural polymorphism observed in fibrils isolated from the lens capsule of various XFS patients and situate this in the context of existing literature on fibrillar structure of these materials. These findings may help to reveal more about the biological functions leading to protein misfolding and aggregation into exfoliation materials.