Collagen: A potential factor involved in the pathogenesis of glaucoma

Abstract

Numerous studies have been completed on glaucoma pathogenesis. However, the potential and controversial interaction between ocular biomechanical properties and the glaucomatous diseases process has received much more attention recently. Previous studies have found that collagen tissues gain mutation change in glaucoma patients. This study was conducted to determine the role of collagen in the biomechanics of glaucoma in humans. Its changes may be the result of mechanical modifications brought on by intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuations. More importantly, biomechanics and genetic evidence indicate that the mutation of collagen may play a role in the process of glaucoma. Alteration of collagen in the outflow pathway may alter mechanical tissue characteristics and a concomitant increase of aqueous humor outflow resistance and elevation of IOP. The variations of collagen, leading to inter-individual differences in scleral and lamina cribrosa properties, result in different susceptibility of individuals to elevated IOP. Therefore, this study hypothesized that collagen mutations may be an original cause of glaucoma.