Abstract
Purpose :
Serine protease inhibitors (SERPINs) are a family of protease inhibitors known to be involved in the pathogenesis of several ocular diseases. In this study, we analyzed the levels of serpin proteins in human aqueous humor (AH) and their association with glaucoma in Caucasian and African American patients.
Methods :
Human AH samples from 148 subjects were analyzed using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). There are 36 known members in the SERPIN superfamily. The abundance of each SERPIN was detected, and differential expression analysis was performed in patients with and without glaucoma, and the data stratified by gender and race.
Results :
A total of 13 SERPIN proteins, including SERPINA1, SERPINA3, SERPINA4, SERPINA5, SERPINA6, SERPINA7, SERPINA8, SERPINC1, SERPIND1, SERPINF1, SERPINF2, SERPING1, SERPINI1 were reliably detected in human AH. Six SERPIN proteins, including SERPINA4, SERPINA5, SERPINA6, SERPINA8, SERPINC1, and SERPIND1, were found to be differentially expressed in glaucoma patients. Additionally, SERPINA1, SERPINA3, and SERPINA7 were differentially expressed in glaucoma only in male subjects, whereas SERPINA5 was differentially expressed in glaucoma only in female subjects. Similarly, dividing the data based on race revealed three proteins, including SERPINA1, SERPINA8, and SERPING1, were differentially expressed in Caucasian glaucoma patients. In contrast, four proteins, including SERPINA4, SERPINA5, SERPINA6, and SERPIND1, were significantly altered in African American glaucoma patients. SERPINC1 was differentially expressed in both Caucasian and African American glaucoma patients.
Conclusions :
A total of 13 out of 36 SERPINs were found in the human AH. Several of these proteins were found to be altered in glaucoma patients in addition to displaying race and gender specific variations.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.