Oxidative stress ups POAG risk

Oxidative stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), according to a study published in the June/July 2008 issue of the Journal of Glaucoma.

Vicente Zanon-Moreno, BS of the Ophthalmologic Research Unit Santiago Grisolia, Dr Peset University Hospital, Valencia, Spain and colleagues conducted a case control study of eyes undergoing antiglaucomatous surgery for POAG (n=50) and for nonpathologic cataracts (n=40) to determine the antioxidant status of the aqueous humour. The research team tested free radical formation via lipid peroxidation by malondialdehyde-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (MDA-TBARS) and conducted statistical analysis to see how these related to glaucoma risk.

When compared with the cataract patients, POAG subjects had significantly higher levels of MDA-TBARS and significantly lower levels of antioxidant activity.

As the glaucomatous eyes showed higher levels of oxidative stress in the aqueous humour than did the control group of cataract eyes, the researchers concluded that oxidative stress may be associated with the development of POAG.