Ρόλος νευρομεταβιβαστικών αμινοξέων στην παθοφυσιολογία του γλαυκώματος ανοικτής γωνίας: διερεύνηση θεραπευτικής παρέμβασης με φαρμακευτική στοχοποίηση ; The role of neurodegenerative amino acids in the pathophysiology of open angle glaucoma

Glaucoma causes irreversible visual loss and is characterized by loss of retinal ganglion cells. Understanding the pathophysiology of glaucomatous damage may improve future prognosis. This research attempted to determine the possible role of selected biochemical indexes upon the pathophysiological process of exfoliation syndrome (XFS) and exfoliative glaucoma (XFG). We measured the concentrations of selected amino acids (glutamate and aspartate) in the aqueous humour and homocysteine in the aqueous humour and plasma of normal controls and subjects with XFS, XFG and POAG. Altogether, aqueous samples from 25 normal subjects and 25 subjects with XFS and glaucoma (XFG and POAG) were evaluated for the concentration of glutamate and aspartate. Τhe concentration of these amino acids was evaluated with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The concentration of glutamate and aspartate was investigated in 50 samples: 25 with glaucoma (XFG and POAG) and 25 healthy controls. The mean age was 73.8±4.5 for glaucoma patients and 74.2±5.6 for the healthy controls. The mean concentration of homocysteine was significantly higher in XFG patients in both aqueous (2.89±0.82 μmol/l) and plasma (17.51±6.08 μmol/l) compared with controls (1.87±0.47 μmol/l in the aqueous and 13.04±3.37 μmol/l in the plasma) respectively. Further, patients with POAG exhibited higher mean homocysteine concentration both in aqueous (2.29±0.43 μmol/l) and plasma (19.17±2.80 μmol/l). No significant difference in mean homocysteine concentration could be detected between XFS subjects and controls in the aqueous (1.98±0.48 μmol/l) and plasma (14.52±5.47 μmol/l). However, there was a significant difference between the XFS and the XFG groups (p<0.05) in aqueous and plasma concentrations (1.98±0.48 μmol/l versus 2.89±0.82 μmol/l and 14.52±5.47 μmol/l versus 17.51±6.08 μmol/ respectively). These findings suggest that in patients with XFG the defect in blood-aqueous humour may result in increased homocysteine concentration in the aqueous humour and this ...