To examine whether the stimulation of the UPR and apoptosis seen in the mouse model reflect changes seen in human MECD cornea, IHC and TUNEL analyses were performed on a cornea obtained from an MECD patient heterozygous for the dominant-negative L132P KRT12 mutation and compared to a cornea from an unaffected donor eye. This evidence concerns the gene KRT12 and Meesmann corneal dystrophy.