Abstract
Purpose :
Evidence has shown that primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a mitochondrial dysfunction-related disease and that energy crises lead to the susceptibility of cells to pathogenic factors. In the present study, we asked how the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level changes in patients with POAG.
Methods :
We collected aqueous humor from 28 eyes of 28 POAG patients and 20 eyes of 20 cataract patients. The level of ATP in the aqueous was checked by chemiluminescence luciferin luciferase reaction. The clinical information of the patients was also collected and analyzed.
Results :
The concentration of ATP in the aqueous humor of the POAG patients was almost six-fold lower than that of the cataract patients (P<0.001). There was a trend of negative correlation between ATP level and intraocular pressure (IOP), although it was not statistically significant (P=0.485). Treatment of different anti-glaucoma drugs did not affect the ATP concentration (All P>0.05).
Conclusions :
In conclusion, low ATP levels were observed in the aqueous humor of POAG patients and this may due to mitochondrial dysfunction in the cells. Maintaining ATP balance may serve as a promising therapy for POAG patients.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.