THE CORNEA SURFACE AND WOUND-HEALING

Wound healing of the corneal surface is closely associated with the re generation of the epithelium. It may be impaired by mechanical or chem ical damage to the basement membrane, under infections, and in neuropa ralytic conditions. Eye burns show such damage. Therefore, experimenta l models of alkali burns were widely used to investigate wound healing of the ocular surface. Mediators of inflammation play an important pa rt in disease and healing processes. High amounts of inflammatory medi ators inhibit the regeneration of the epithelium and induce ulceration . Then, serine and metalloproteinases are released on the ocular surfa ce and inside the. tissues. These enzymes melt the stromal matrix. Esp ecially when leucocytes are present, superoxides also appear and destr oy the organic substrates of tissues. Therefore, therapeutical support of wound healing on the ocular surface has to take into account many factors. It seems that rather a polyvalent therapy may have a better c hance of success. As soon as the epithelial cover is completely closed , stromal wounds hear better, and sometimes inflammation subsides. Cop yright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.