{ "abstract": "Purpose: This study investigated apoptosis-related responses to a standardized 24-hour lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in primary limbal stromal cells (LSCs) derived from patients with congenital aniridia (AN-LSCs) and control donors. Methods: LSCs were isolated from limbal tissue obtained from patients with congenital aniridia and control donors. Cells were treated with 0, 2.5, 10, and 17.5 µg/mL LPS for 24 hours. Apoptosis was assessed using Annexin V-APC/PI staining and flow cytometry. Apoptosis-related mRNA levels were quantified by qPCR, cell-associated protein fluorescence was assessed by flow cytometry, and secreted TNF-α was measured by ELISA. Results: The mean basal apoptosis rate was numerically higher in AN-LSCs than in control LSCs (2.10% vs. 0.52%), although the donor-level difference was not statistically significant. The exploratory linear mixed-effects model showed a significant main effect of LPS condition and a significant Group × LPS interaction. Apoptosis increased significantly at 10 and 17.5 µg/mL LPS compared with the corresponding untreated condition in both groups, and the increase from the untreated condition to 17.5 µg/mL LPS was significantly greater in AN-LSCs than in control LSCs (adjusted P = 0.003). qPCR and flow-cytometry analyses identified marker-specific LPS-associated changes, but no molecular Group × LPS interaction reached statistical significance. Cell-associated TNF-α fluorescence was distinguished from secreted TNF-α measured by ELISA. Conclusions: Acute LPS exposure increased apoptosis in both groups, with a greater increase in AN-LSCs at the highest concentration. Molecular changes were marker- and concentration-specific without evidence of differential molecular response patterns between groups. Given the small number of independent donors, the marked donor-age imbalance, and the acute nature of the model, these findings should be considered exploratory and hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in a larger independent cohort of appropriately age-matched donors.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Congenital Aniridia Research, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany", "Department of Experimental Ophthalmology, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany", "Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg/Saar, Germany" ], "article_type": "Research Article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 13, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Shanhe Liu", "orcid": "0000-0001-8096-4771" }, { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Shuailin Li", "orcid": "0009-0007-2251-6242" }, { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Shao-Lun Hsu", "orcid": "0000-0001-5235-5039" }, { "affs": [ 0, 2 ], "name": "Fabian N. Fries" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Zhen Li" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Swarnali Kundu" }, { "affs": [ 2 ], "name": "Berthold Seitz" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Maryam Amini" }, { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Shweta Suiwal" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Julia Zimmermann" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Simon Trusen" }, { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Tanja Stachon" }, { "affs": [ 0, 1 ], "name": "Nóra Szentmáry" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f02pz4qwbvrxj.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361130", "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13712603/", "id": "f02pz4qwbvrxj", "issns": [ "1932-6203" ], "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361130", "language": "en", "licence": "CC-BY-4.0", "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "heading", "Anatomy" ], [ "heading", "Animal Cells" ], [ "heading", "Apoptosis" ], [ "heading", "Biological Tissue" ], [ "heading", "Biology and Life Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Cell Biology" ], [ "heading", "Cell Death" ], [ "heading", "Cell Processes" ], [ "heading", "Cell Signaling" ], [ "heading", "Cellular Types" ], [ "heading", "Clinical Medicine" ], [ "heading", "Connective Tissue" ], [ "heading", "Connective Tissue Cells" ], [ "heading", "Cornea" ], [ "heading", "Cytophotometry" ], [ "heading", "Enzyme-Linked Immunoassays" ], [ "heading", "Flow Cytometry" ], [ "heading", "Immune Response" ], [ "heading", "Immunoassays" ], [ "heading", "Immunologic Techniques" ], [ "heading", "Immunology" ], [ "heading", "Inflammation" ], [ "heading", "Medicine and Health Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Ocular Anatomy" ], [ "heading", "Ocular System" ], [ "heading", "Research Article" ], [ "heading", "Research and Analysis Methods" ], [ "heading", "Signal Transduction" ], [ "heading", "Signs and Symptoms" ], [ "heading", "Spectrophotometry" ], [ "heading", "Spectrum Analysis Techniques" ], [ "heading", "Stem Cell Niche" ], [ "heading", "Stem Cells" ], [ "heading", "Stromal Cells" ], [ "openalex", "2741|Corneal Surgery and Treatments" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Anatomy/Biological tissue/Connective tissue/Connective tissue cells/Stromal cells" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Anatomy/Ocular system/Ocular anatomy/Cornea" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cell processes/Cell death/Apoptosis" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Connective tissue cells/Stromal cells" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Stem cells/Stem cell niche" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Signal transduction/Cell signaling" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Immunology/Immune response/Inflammation" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Anatomy/Biological tissue/Connective tissue/Connective tissue cells/Stromal cells" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Anatomy/Ocular system/Ocular anatomy/Cornea" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Clinical medicine/Signs and symptoms/Inflammation" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Immunology/Immune response/Inflammation" ], [ "plos", "/Research and analysis methods/Immunologic techniques/Immunoassays/Enzyme-linked immunoassays" ], [ "plos", "/Research and analysis methods/Spectrum analysis techniques/Spectrophotometry/Cytophotometry/Flow cytometry" ] ], "openalex": "W7223981896", "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0361130&type=printable", "pmcid": "PMC13712603", "pmid": "42945177", "published": "2026-10-27", "publisher": "Public Library of Science", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f02pz4qwbvrxj.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:17Z", "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361130", "source": "plos", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361130" }, { "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:23:09Z", "native_id": "PMC13712603", "source": "pmc", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361130" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "plos:cell biology", "subfield": "cell-biology" }, { "field": "biology", "origin": "heading:Stem Cells", "subfield": "developmental-biology" }, { "field": "biology", "origin": "plos:immunology", "subfield": "immunology" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:anatomy", "subfield": "physiology" } ], "title": "Lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory modulation of the apoptotic pathways in human primary aniridia limbal stromal cells, in vitro", "title_text": "Lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory modulation of the apoptotic pathways in human primary aniridia limbal stromal cells, in vitro", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-10-31T12:23:09Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f02pz4qwbvrxj", "venue": "PLOS One", "versions": [] }