Reduction in Blood Glutathione Levels Occurs Similarly in Patients with Primary-Open Angle or Normal Tension Glaucoma

Author(s): Gherghel D, Mroczkowska S, Qin L

Vascular Research Laboratory, Ophthalmic Research Group, Aston University, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, United Kingdom.

PURPOSE: To investigate in parallel the systemic glutathione levels of patients suffering from primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) or normal tension glaucoma (NTG) with comparable functional loss.

METHODS: Thirty-four POAG patients, 30 NTG patients and 53 controls were subjected to blood analysis to detect the level of circulating glutathione in its reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) forms. Systemic blood pressure (BP) and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) parameters were also determined.

RESULTS: Independent of age, POAG and NTG patients demonstrated significantly lower GSH and t-GSH levels than age-matched controls (p<0.001). Additionally, a lower redox index was found, but in POAG patients only, in comparison to both NTG and control groups (p=0.020). GSSG levels were however similar between all study groups (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates for the first time and that both POAG and NTG patients exhibitlower GSH and t-GSH levels than age-matched controls, indicating a similar general compromise of the antioxidant defence systems may exist in both conditions.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013 Apr 18. pii: iovs.12-11256v1. doi: 10.1167/iovs.12-11256.

PMID: 23599328
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23599328

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