Microarray analysis of corneal fibroblast gene expression after interleukin-1 treatment

PURPOSE. To identify changes in gene expression in human corneal fibroblasts after exposure to interleukin-1α. METHODS. RNA was isolated from cultured human corneal fibroblasts after treatment with interleukin-1α and subjected to DNA microarray analysis. Changes in gene expression were determined by comparison with untreated cells in three independent experiments after a Bayesian statistical analysis of variance. RESULTS. Changes in gene expression were reproducibly observed in 165 genes representing previously identified and novel chemokines, matrix molecules, membrane receptors, angiogenic mediators, and transcription factors that correlated with pathophysiological responses to inflammation. Dramatic increases in gene expression were observed with exodus-1 (CCL20), MMP-12, and RhoA. CONCLUSIONS. DNA microarray analysis of the corneal fibroblast response to interleukin-1α provides important insight into modeling changes in gene expression and suggests novel therapeutic targets for the control of corneal inflammation.