Neurotrophic factors in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and age-related cataract. Part 1. Ciliary neurotrophic factor

Abstract

Purpose. To study the content of the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in the aqueous humor (AH), lacrimal fluid (LF), and blood serum (BS) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and agerelated cataract.Material and methods. We examined 146 people (146 eyes), of them 55 patients with POAG combined with age-related cataract, 62 patients with age-related cataract, and 29 persons without ophthalmic pathology. The content of CNTF in the AH (except healthy individuals), LF and BS was studied.Results.The levels of CNTF in LF and BS did not differ in cataract patients and healthy controls. The concentration of CNTF in patients with cataract and POAG was significantly (on average, by more than ⅓) lower than in patients with cataract both in the AH and LF (P<0.001). The content of CNTF consistently decreased with the POAG progression (correlation coefficient with perimetric index VFI: r=0.349, P=0.011). The decrease was especially pronounced (on average more than 2 times) in patients with severe POAG (Stage 4 according to classification by Mills et al., 2006). The level of CNTF in the AH showed a strong correlation with its concentration in the LF (r=0.66, P<0.000). A formula is proposed for an approximate calculation of the level of CNTF i n the AH by its content i n the LF.Conclusion. The content of CNTF in the AH and LF is significantly reduced in patients with POAG. Reduction of the level of CNTF in the AH in patients with POAG is consistent with the progression of the disease. A strong correlation of the content of CNTF in the AH with its concentration in the LF is established, which opens up new opportunities for indirect assessment of the level of CNTF i n the AH of patients with POAG.

Keywords

• ciliary neurotrophic factor
• primary open-angle glaucoma
• age-related cataract
• aqueous humor
• lacrimal fluid
• blood serum