gms | German Medical Science

102. Jahrestagung der DOG

Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft e. V.

23. bis 26.09.2004, Berlin

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Elevated Homocysteine level in aqueous humor of patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author A. Jünemann - Department of Ophthalmology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen
  • J. Rödl - Department of Ophthalmology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen
  • U. Reulbach - Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen
  • U. Schlötzer-Schrehardt - Department of Ophthalmology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen
  • F. E. Kruse - Department of Ophthalmology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen
  • J. Kornhuber - Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen
  • S. Bleich - Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen

Evidenzbasierte Medizin - Anspruch und Wirklichkeit. 102. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft. Berlin, 23.-26.09.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2004. Doc04dogP 107

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dog2004/04dog598.shtml

Published: September 22, 2004

© 2004 Jünemann et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

Text

Objective

Homocysteine (Hcy) can induce vascular injury, and alterations of extracellular matrix metabolism due to dysregulation of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors, and contributes to neuronal cell death by different mechanisms. Moderate hyperhomocysteinemia has been found in patients with primary and secondary open-angle glaucoma due to pseudoexfoliation (PEXG). This study was performed to determine the homocysteine level in aqueous humor of patients with PEXG.

Methods

Total plasma hcy, vitamins relevant for its metabolism (folate, B12, B6), and total hcy of aqueous humor were determined in 30 patients with PEXG (age:72.8±6.8 years, 17 female, 13 male), and 31 controls with cataract (age: 71.8±9.3 years., 18 female, 13 male) using HPLC. Patients with any commonly known other risk factors for hyperhomocysteinemia were excluded. The control group was matched to the study group by age, gender and concurrent diagnosis of systemic hypertension.

Results

Significantly raised plasma hcy levels were found in patients with PEXG (15.53μmol/l ±7.76, Mann-Whitney-U-test, Z=-2.55, p = 0.01) as compared with the control group (11.82μmol/l ±3.56). Hcy was also identified in all aqueous humor samples. The hcy level was raised twofold in PEXG samples (2.51μmol/l ±1.41, Mann-Whitney-U-test, Z=-5.18, p<0.001) as compared with the control group (1.26μmol/l ±0.80). Plasma and aqueous humor hcy levels were correlated in PEXG patients (Spearman rho, r=0.46, p=0.025), but not in the control patients.

Conclusions

The present study revealed elevated homocysteine plasma levels and aqueous humor levels in patients with PEXG. Therefore, increased levels of homocysteine in patients with PEXG may have important implications for understanding the pathogenesis of PEX glaucoma.