Pathobiology of the crystalline lens in Stickler syndrome

Purpose

The Stickler syndromes are a group of connective tissue disorders characterised by congenital myopia, giant retinal tear and retinal detachment, cleft palate, hearing loss and premature arthropathy. Patients with Stickler syndrome are also susceptible to abnormalities of the crystalline lens. Since neither type II or type XI collagen (those typically affected in the vast majority of Stickler patients) are highly expressed in the lens, this observational cohort study explores potential alternative mechanisms to explain why patients frequently exhibit such unusual but characteristic types of cataract.

Methods

Author observations drawn from a cohort of over 1800 patients with genetically confirmed Stickler syndrome.

Results

3 distinct lens pathologies were identified. Firstly, a congenital quadrantic lamellar opacity. This can be present in both type 1 (COL2A1) and type 2 (COL11A1) Stickler syndrome. Secondly, early onset Pantone 557 C blue-green nuclear cataract. Thirdly, congenital lens coloboma associated with localised zonule deficiency.

Conclusions

The characteristic quadrantic lamellar lens opacity can be helpful in alerting to the possible diagnosis, particularly in sub-groups with an ocular-only phenotype.

Temporal and spatial signalling pathways shared embryologically by both the developing vitreous body and crystalline lens suggest an ancillary role of the fibrillar collagens in cell signalling beyond their basic structural function. A common pathway of TGFβ/BMP super-family dysregulation may be shared with allied disorders associated with both retinal detachment and cataract as well as the pathobiology linking retinal detachment and cataract in the population at large.

Congenital lens coloboma associated with localised zonule deficiency can increase the difficulty and risks of cataract surgery. Strategies to mitigate such risks are presented.