Abstract
Objectives: The objectives of the study were to determine the difference of concentration and expression of α-crystalline protein in white and brunescent cataract lenses. Methods: The design of this study is cross-sectional comparative. The subject was cataract patients who underwent cataract surgery in Puskesmas Pariaman, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Lens examination was carried out at the Microbiology Laboratory of FK Unand from July 2019 to February 2020. The samples consisted of 36 subjects who met the inclusion criteria. ELISA examination was used to determine the concentration of α-crystalline protein and Western Blot examination was performed to see the expression of the α-crystalline protein in all subjects. Results: The difference in the concentration of α-crystalline protein in white cataract and brunescent cataract was not statistically significant, with p=0.129 (p>0.05). The result of Western blot examination was normal expression of α-crystalline protein in white cataract and under expression of α-crystalline protein in brunescent cataracts. Conclusion: The expression of α-crystalline protein appeared to be different between white and brunescent cataract lenses. In brunescent cataract, under expression of α-crystalline proteins was related to the decrease of chaperone activity. This change occurred allegedly because of photochemical reaction that happened inside the lens.
Highlights
Cataract is a condition of lens transparency loss caused by biomolecular and chemical processes of the crystalline protein of the lens, which results in opacification of the lens that will cause visual disturbances
The subjects in this study consisted of 18 patients with white cataract and 18 patients with brunescent cataracts
Surgery was performed in the age range of 60–69 years, about 50% for white cataract and age 70–79 years, about 38.9% for brunescent cataract
Summary
Cataract is a condition of lens transparency loss caused by biomolecular and chemical processes of the crystalline protein of the lens, which results in opacification of the lens that will cause visual disturbances. The nucleus of the cataract lens undergoes physical and chemical changes, such as changes in the crystalline protein of the lens, increased pigmentation, and rigidity [2]. The lens nucleus gradually solidifies and hardens progressively, changes color from transparent to yellowish gray to brown and even black. The color change corresponds to an increase in the hardness of the lens nucleus. The color of the cataract lens nucleus can determine the degree of cataract hardness, classified into: Grade 1, soft nucleus (transparent); Grade 2, slightly hard nucleus, semi-soft (white, yellowish white); Grade 3, moderately hard nucleus, medium (yellow); Grade 4, hard nucleus (brownish yellow, brown); and Grade 5, very hard nucleus (brown to blackish) are called “brunescent” cataract and “black” [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
