The British journal of ophthalmology
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Corneal graft survival depends critically on the quality of the endothelium. In this study the authors aimed to evaluate corneal endothelium in mice at different times after transplantation and to correlate endothelial integrity with corneal graft survival. ⋯ In corneal allografts there is progressive loss of endothelium over time, unlike with syngeneic grafts. However, in the early stages of allograft rejection, the grade of graft opacity does not accurately reflect the degree of endothelial cell coverage. Although corneal opacity grade is considered the main determinant of graft rejection, the data suggest that both the grade of corneal opacity plus a sufficient post-graft time duration (>8 weeks in the mouse) are required for the diagnosis of irreversible graft rejection.