C- Reactive Protein Levels in Pseudoexfoliative Patients Serum and Aqueous Humor

Abstract

Purpose: : The pseudoexfoliation syndrome is a systemic anomaly that primary affects the eye and it is a high precursor of open angle glaucoma. The impaired microcirculation and abnormal perfusion conditions in this syndrome may cause glaucomatous damage to the optic nerve head. Functional abnormalities of the vessels from the optic nerve head, as vascular dysregulation, might be one of the causative factors. C-reactive protein is an acute phase reactant and might have a role in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction. This study compares and correlates levels of aqueous humor and serum C-reactive protein between patients with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEXG) and healthy controls.

Methods: : Aqueous humor and serum samples were obtained at the time of surgery from 24 patients with PEXG (12) and age-matched normal controls (12) and preserved at - 20ºC until ELISA was done. The data was analyzed by WinMDI 2.8 software.

Results: : The serum samples revealed that we had 3.8 +/- 1.05 µg/ml C-reactive protein in PEXG and 2.375 +/- 0.59 µg/ml in healthy controls with non significant difference between both groups (p=0.0565). On the other hand aqueous humor C-reactive protein was 1.1775 +/- 0.592 µg/ml in PEXG patients and 0.625 +/- 0.25 µg/ml in control group. This result was statistically significant (p= 0.0175).

Conclusions: : A significant difference was observed in C-reactive protein levels in the aqueous humour of PEXG patients when compared to controls, but not difference was found in serum concentration. These results support the hypothesis that the C-reactive protein in aqueous humor could be a marker for PEXG or participate in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction among patients with PEXG.

Keywords: intraocular pressure • optic nerve • aqueous