Comparison of α-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA) and Collagen Type III Expression after Conjunctival Excision Between Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) Membrane and Conjunctival Autograft Treatment: An Animal Model Experimental Study on Oryctolagus cuniculus

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) membrane and conjunctival autografts on α-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA) and type III collagen expression following conjunctival excision in Oryctolagus cuniculus. Study Design: Experimental study with a randomized post-test only design. Place and Duration of Study: Airlangga University, Surabaya in November 2022. Methods: Twenty rabbit eyes were categorized into two groups: those sutured with PRF membrane and those sutured with conjunctival autografts after temporal conjunctival excision. The study assessed α-SMA and type III collagen expression through the Immunoreactive Score (IRS) method.Data analysis is conducted using appropriate statistical methods, such as the t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, to compare the expression of α-SMA and collagen type III between the two groups. Results: The data for each sample represented the average IRS value observed at 200x magnification. In the conjunctival autograft group, the mean IRS of α-SMA expression was 5.52 ± 0.84, significantly higher than the PRF membrane group (2.34 ± 0.34) with p < 0.05. Similarly, the conjunctival autograft group showed a higher mean IRS of type III collagen (3.87 ± 0.25) compared to the PRF membrane group (2.29 ± 0.31) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Variations in α-SMA and type III collagen expression exist between the PRF membrane and conjunctival autograft groups in the rabbit corneal model, suggesting difference in their efficacy for conjunctival defect repair.