Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: There is evidence that an autoimmune mechanism is involved in the glaucoma in some patients. We previously reported significant differences in the antibody pattern of glaucoma patients (POAG and NTG) compared to control subjects. Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma is one of the most frequent secondary glaucoma. Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma usually develops from pseudoexfolation syndrome which shows the typical signs of pseudoexfoliation such as white deposits on intraocular structures but without glaucomatous changes of the optic disc and visual field. It was the aim of this study to analyze the antibody profiles against ocular antigens in patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma compared to POAG and healthy subjects. Methods: Sera from 3 groups were analyzed: healthy volunteers without any ocular disorders (CO, n=30), patients with primary open–angle glaucoma (POAG, n=30), and patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEX, n=20). Western blot methods were used to detect antibodies against retinal antigens. The complex IgG antibody patterns were analyzed by multivariate statistical techniques. Results: All sera showed complex patterns of IgG antibodies against retinal antigens. Our multivariate approach could quantify the differences in immunoreactivities and including the complex profile the analysis of discriminance revealed a statistical significant difference between the patterns of the POAG group and the control group (P<0.05) and the PEX glaucoma group and controls (P<0.05). In terms of statistical distances, the PEX glaucoma group revealed to be more different from the control group (Mahalanobis distance PEX–CO=3.7) than the POAG group (Mahalanobis distance POAG–CO=1.1). Conclusions: We could demonstrate that a different and very complex IgG antibody pattern against retinal antigens can be found in sera of POAG and PEX glaucoma patients compared to healthy subjects. Further studies have to show if the specific antibody reactions in PEX patients are caused by the pseudoexfoliation or if the deposits are a consequence of a possible autoimmune attack.
Keywords: pathobiology • retina • autoimmune disease