Influence of donor age and post-mortem time on the metabolic profile of donor corneas and graft survival

Abstract

Donor corneas are stored in eye banks and are selected to provide consistent good-quality tissue for transplantation. Endothelial cell count (ECC) is a major factor in determining its suitability; however, donor- and recipient-related risk factors may affect the long-term graft survival. The paper under evaluation confirmed that old donor corneas have a different metabolic profile compared with young donors in unpreserved and cold-storage preservation. It also found that a longer death-to-preservation interval (DPI) changes the metabolic profile only in unpreserved corneas and that cold storage may reduce the metabolic differences between shorter and longer DPIs. However, the significance of donor age and DPI on long-term graft survival is controversial and variable in different series. A continuous ECC loss is observed after transplantation and more than half of graft failures are because of late graft failure (chronic ECC loss) or graft rejection. A better understanding of these metabolic changes and their implications on the chronic ECC loss observed after transplantation is needed. © 2012 Expert Reviews Ltd.