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A proteomic characterization of aqueous humor in patients with exfoliation glaucoma.
The anterior chamber, or front compartment of the eye, is filled with a watery fluid called
aqueous humor, which provides the cornea and the lens with oxygen and vital nutrients. The
aqueous humor also provides the necessary intraocular pressure (IOP) to maintain the shape
of the eye. It is secreted into the posterior chamber (the fluid compartment behind the iris) by
the ciliary body, and is filtrated through the trabecular meshwork of the anterior chamber.
Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy (a disease of the optic nerve) characterized by a
specific pattern of optic nerve head and visual field damage. It is the leading cause of
blindness in the Western world, and the second leading cause worldwide. Damage to the
visual system in glaucoma is due to the death of the retinal ganglion cells, the axons of which
comprise the optic nerve and carry the visual impulses from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma
represents a final common pathway resulting from a number of different conditions that can
affect the eye, many of which are associated with elevated IOP. The exfoliation syndrome
(EXS) is characterized by the production and progressive accumulation of a fibrillar
extracellular material in many ocular tissues. When averaged across the globe, it is the most
common identifiable cause of glaucoma worldwide (exfolitation glaucoma - EXG), and is in
particular frequent in the Scandinavian countries.
Recently, proteomic analysis has provided new insights into the pathogenesis of glaucoma.
Changes in the extracellular matrix and alterations in the cytoskeletal proteins of the
trabecular meshwork have been identified. Proteomic study has also provided new evidence to
propose the role of oxidative damage in the neurodegeneration in glaucoma.
We want to utilize proteomic analyzes of aqueous humor from patients to elucidate new
aspects of EXG. By comparing the protein changes in diseased and healthy aqueous, central
target or candidate proteins can be identified. The elucidation of their functions may help to
understand the disease process and aid future treatment. Aqueous humor will be collected as
part of the operative procedure of cataract from 10 patients with EXS without glaucoma, 10
patients with EXG and 10 patients without EXS (controls). The samples will be analyzed
primarily by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and if there will be time also twodimensional liquid chromatography, both in combination with mass spectrometry.
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This project will be performed at Rikshospitalet, Oslo and at the University of Oslo.
Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]