Reduced 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration in the aqueous humor of cataract patients with open-angle glaucoma

Yongwun Cho,Seung Pil Yun,Seong-Jae Kim,Rock-Bum Kim,Woong-Sun Yoo,Min-Chul Cho

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98342-9

Abstract

Previous epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the lower serum concentration of vitamin D was associated with elevated risk of open-angle glaucoma (OAG). However, few studies have examined the association between aqueous humor vitamin D concentrations and OAG. Hence, we investigated the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations in aqueous humor and OAG. We measured 25(OH)D concentrations in aqueous humor and serum of 126 patients who underwent cataract surgery. 36 were patients with OAG and 90 were control patients. The 25(OH)D concentrations were measured using Elecsys Vitamin D Total Kits with the Cobas e602 module (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany), an electrochemiluminescence assay. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to investigate factors associated with serum and aqueous humor 25(OH)D concentrations. Patients with OAG had significantly lower 25(OH)D concentrations in aqueous humor than control patients. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were higher in patients with OAG than in the control, but this was not statistically significant. 25(OH)D concentrations in aqueous humor of patients with OAG were significantly associated with axial length but not with glaucoma severity, which was determined by the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness or mean deviation. Vitamin D concentrations in aqueous humor of patients with OAG were significantly lower than those in patients without OAG.

Highlights

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, contributing to approximately 10% of cases of legal blindness registered in the United S tates[1]
Following the hydroxylation of vitamin D into 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] in the liver, the vitamin D metabolite is transported to kidneys where it is converted to 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1α, 25(OH)2D], which is an active form of vitamin D7,8
Most of these studies were only epidemiological investigations of the association between serum vitamin D concentrations and eye diseases; few studies have examined the association between aqueous humor vitamin D concentrations and eye diseases

Summary

Introduction

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, contributing to approximately 10% of cases of legal blindness registered in the United S tates[1]. Unlike ACG, which has a narrow iridocorneal angle, OAG is characterized by increased resistance in the trabecular meshwork (TM), which causes an elevation of IOP. Several studies have demonstrated that the serum concentration of vitamin D is associated with OAG17–22. Most of these studies were only epidemiological investigations of the association between serum vitamin D concentrations and eye diseases; few studies have examined the association between aqueous humor vitamin D concentrations and eye diseases. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have reported on the relationship between the aqueous humor vitamin D concentration and glaucoma. We measured 25(OH)D concentrations in aqueous humor of patients with cataract with or without OAG. We performed a comparative analysis of the 25(OH)D concentrations in the two groups to determine whether there was a correlation with the presence of OAG

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