Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41772727›Full record

ArticleEye and vision (London, England)2026

Sexual dimorphism in keratoconus: transcriptomic and hormonal mechanisms underlying stromal remodelling.

Yining Sun, Qixin Li, Xiaoqing Wu, Xintong Yu, Ruoqi Wang, Binjia Sun, Kaisheng Wang, Ye Yu, Shihao Chen, Dan Jiang and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Eye and vision (London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Yining Sun *National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
Qixin Li *National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
Xiaoqing WuNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
Xintong YuNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
Ruoqi WangNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
Binjia SunNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
Kaisheng WangNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
Ye YuNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
Shihao ChenNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
Dan JiangNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China. jiangdan@wmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3830-3379
Wei ChenNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China. chenweimd@wmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4040-6721

Funding

Key Research and Development Plan of Zhejiang Science and Technology Department 2023C03206National Natural Science Foundation of China 82171021
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundKeratoconus (KC) is a vision-threatening condition with a higher prevalence and earlier onset in males than in females. The study aims to investigate sex-associated transcriptomic features of KC and assess whether sex hormones modulate stromal remodelling.

methodsWe performed whole-transcriptome sequencing of human corneal tissues from patients with KC and matched controls (n = 20; five males and five females per group), followed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis, Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment, and competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network construction. Our findings were functionally probed in primary human corneal stromal fibroblasts (HCSFs) using testosterone, β-oestradiol, and their antagonists. Key nodes were validated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence.

resultsAcross 17,496 genes, we identified 3,345 differentially expressed genes (adjusted P < 0.01, |log

conclusionsKC exhibited sex-biased molecular programs consistent with androgen-driven and oestrogen-deficiency-related stromal remodelling. These findings elucidate hormone-driven mechanisms underlying KC and suggest that sex-associated hormonal regulation could inform future personalised therapeutic strategies.

Indexed as

Competitive endogenous RNAKeratoconusSex hormonesSexual dimorphism

Identifiers

PMID41772727
PMCPMC12955055

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