Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34232259›Full record

ArticleInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science2021

The Role of Elastase in Corneal Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction Caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exoproteins.

Ye Li, YingWei Wang, ChunWei Li, DePeng Zhao, QinYuan Hu, Min Zhou, Miao Du, Jian Li, PengXia Wan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Exploring the Role ofACS infectious diseases · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Structural and functional insights into Pseudomonas aeruginosa's secretion systems 1-6: regulation, role in microbial keratitis and drug targets.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Autoinducer-2 promotesFrontiers in microbiology · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Ye LiDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
YingWei WangDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
ChunWei LiDepartment of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
DePeng ZhaoSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
QinYuan HuDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Min ZhouDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Miao DuDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Jian LiDepartment of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
PengXia WanDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University · CNSun Yat-sen University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the role of elastase in corneal epithelial barrier dysfunction caused by the exoproteins secreted by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods: Exoproteins obtained from Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture supernatant were analyzed by shotgun proteomics approach. In vitro multilayered rabbit corneal epithelial barrier model prepared by air-liquid interface technique (CECs-ALI) were treated with 2 µg/ml exoproteins and/or 8 mM elastase inhibitor. Then the epithelial barrier function was evaluated by transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) assay and tight junction proteins immunofluorescence. Cell viability and the apoptosis rate were examined by CCK8 assay and flow cytometry. TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β levels were measured by ELISA. Mice cornea treated with exoproteins and/or elastase inhibitor were evaluated in vivo and in vitro. Results: Elastase (24.2%) is one of the major components of exoproteins. After 2 µg/ml exoproteins were applied to CECs-ALI for two hours, TEER decreased from 323.2 ±  2.7 to 104 ± 6.8 Ω/cm2 (P < 0.001). The immunofluorescence results showed a distinct separation in tight junction and significant degradation of ZO-1 and occludin (P < 0.05). Elastase inhibitor (8 mM) alleviated the decrease in TEER value (234 ± 6.8 Ω cm2) induced by exoproteins. Inhibition of elastase decreased the apoptosis rate of CECs treated with exoproteins from 30.2 ± 3.8% to 7.26 ± 1.3% and the levels of inflammatory factors (P < 0.05). Mice corneal epithelium defect could be induced by exoproteins and protected by elastase inhibitor. Conclusions: Elastase plays a critical role in corneal epithelial barrier dysfunction caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa exoproteins via damaging tight junctions. The inhibition of elastase could protect the corneal epithelial barrier via reducing virulence and inflammation.

Indexed as

AnimalsCells, CulturedDisease Models, AnimalEpithelium, CornealEye Infections, BacterialKeratitisOccludinPancreatic ElastasePseudomonas aeruginosaPseudomonas InfectionsRabbitsTight Junction ProteinsOccludinPancreatic ElastaseTight Junction Proteins

Identifiers

PMID34232259
PMCPMC8316690
OpenAlexW3179316139

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.