Aqueous Humor Proteomic Changes Associated with Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Cataract and Glaucoma Patients

Abstract

Purpose : Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy characterized by reduced retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. The purpose of this study was to discover aqueous humor (AH) proteomic changes associated with RNFL measurements in Cataract and Glaucoma patients.

Methods : Aqueous humor samples from 100 patients were analyzed using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RNFL parameters, including mean RNFL thickness and superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal thicknesses, were obtained from electronic medical records. Adjusting for confounding variables including age, sex, race and medications, multiple regression analyses were performed to discover the relationship between the aqueous humor protein levels and RNFL measures.

Results : We detected 356 proteins in 100 AH samples. A total of 19 proteins were significantly associated with mean RNFL thickness, 21 proteins were associated with superior thickness, 19 proteins were associated with inferior thickness, 28 proteins were associated with nasal thickness, and 5 proteins were associated with temporal thickness. There was a huge overlap in these proteins associated with different RNFL parameters. The top 10 proteins include: Limbic system-associated membrane protein, (LSAMP; β= 2.23), Immunoglobulin kappa variable 1D-33 (IGKV1D-33; β= 1.96), Testican-1 (SPOCK1; β= 0.72), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2; β= -3.02) Protein unc-45 homolog A (UNC45A; β= -2.28), Metalloproteinase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1; β= -2.01), Monocyte differentiation antigen CD14 (CD14; β= -1.63), Apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3; β= -1.51), Procollagen C-endopeptidase enhancer 1 (PCOLCE; β= -1.43), and Lysozyme (LYZ; β= -1.09).

Conclusions : In this study, we found several AH proteins associated with RNFL measures in cataract and glaucoma patients. These findings provide targets for future studies investigating precise molecular mechanisms and new therapies for glaucoma.

This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.