Abstract
BackgroundGlaucoma is classified as a neurodegenerative disease. However, the biomarkers of neurodegeneration in the aqueous humour of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes have not been quantitatively examined yet. In this study, levels of neurodegeneration-related cytokines in the aqueous humour of POAG eyes were measured and compared with those of non-glaucoma (senile cataract) control eyes.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 24 patients (24 eyes) with POAG and 22 patients (22 eyes) with cataract. Aqueous humour samples were collected before the commencement of phacoemulsification surgery. The concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cathepsin D, myeloperoxidase (MPO), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble neural cell adhesion molecule (sNCAM), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured using the Luminex suspension array technique. The clinical characteristics of the patients were also obtained for correlation analysis.ResultsCompared with the cataract group, the levels of cathepsin D (P < 0.001), sNCAM (P < 0.001) and sVCAM-1 (P = 0.007) were significantly higher in the aqueous humour samples from POAG. The levels of BDNF, sICAM-1, MPO and PAI-1 did not differ among the groups. Mean deviation (MD) values measured by the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer were significantly associated with levels of cathepsin D (P < 0.001; ρ= − 0.668), sICAM-1 (P = 0.003; ρ= − 0.579), sVCAM-1(P < 0.001; ρ= − 0.695), and PAI-1 (P = 0.007; ρ= − 0.533). The cytokines showed a positive correlation among each other (P < 0.0083).ConclusionThese data suggest that POAG patients had elevated levels of multiple biomarkers of neurodegeneration in the aqueous humour, and these elevated biomarkers may be related to trabecular meshwork injury.Trial registrationThis study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-OOC-16008516) on May 22, 2016.
Highlights
Glaucoma is classified as a neurodegenerative disease
Patient characteristics Aqueous humour (AH) samples were collected from 46 patients: 24 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and 22 patients with cataract
The characteristics of patients, including age, gender, preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), axial length (AL), mean deviation (MD), and glaucoma medications are summarized in Table 1 and Table 2
Summary
Glaucoma is classified as a neurodegenerative disease. the biomarkers of neurodegeneration in the aqueous humour of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes have not been quantitatively examined yet. Glaucoma is a group of optic neuropathy characterized by the degeneration of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons and somas [1]. It is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world, especially among the elderly. Glaucoma even shares some similarities with other diseases in this category, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). These similarities include the selective loss of neuron populations, trans-synaptic degeneration in which the disease spreads from injured neurons to connected neurons, and common mechanisms of cell injury and
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