endothelin-1 and Exfoliation-Syndrome

Klotho is a newly discovered protein that presumably has an important role in the aging process. The goal of this research is to compare the levels of Klotho and Endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the serum and aqueous humor of patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES) and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEG).. Aqueous humor and serum samples were obtained at the time of cataract surgery from 15 patients with PES, 15 patients with PEG, and 15 control patients. All of the samples were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to evaluate the levels of ET-1 and Klotho protein.. Aqueous and serum levels of Klotho in PES patients (49.02±10.97, 56.32±10.25 ng/mL) and PEG patients (34.53±4.87, 50.49±2.63 ng/mL) were lower than in control patients (56.31±7.68, 65.06±12.32 ng/mL). Both aqueous and serum levels of Klotho in the PEG group were lower than in the PES group (P=0.001). Mean aqueous and serum levels of ET-1 in the PES (1.28±0.09, 1.65±0.75 pg/mL) and the PEG groups (1.45±0.07, 1.58±0.58 pg/mL) were significantly higher than that measured in the control group (1.17±0.09, 1.16±0.34 pg/mL). Aqueous levels of ET-1 in the PEG group were higher than the PES group (P=0.04), but there were no significant difference in serum levels of ET-1 between the PES and the PEG groups (P=0.83).. Aqueous and serum levels of Klotho decreased both in PES and PEG patients, and this decrease in the PEG group was more significant. In contrast, aqueous and serum levels of ET-1 increased in the PES and the PEG patients, and the increase in the aqueous level of ET-1 in PEG patients was more significant.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aging; Aqueous Humor; Biomarkers; Cross-Sectional Studies; Endothelin-1; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Exfoliation Syndrome; Female; Glaucoma; Glucuronidase; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Klotho Proteins; Male; Middle Aged

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been found in elevated concentrations in the aqueous humor of glaucoma patients. Indirect evidence from animal studies suggests that ET-1 might directly influence intraocular pressure (IOP). The aim of this study was to determine whether ET-1 concentrations in aqueous humor of cataract and glaucoma patients correlate with IOP.. Aqueous humor and blood samples from patients with either cataract (control, n = 38), primary open angle glaucoma (POAG, n = 35), or pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG, n = 21), without other ocular or systemic disease, were collected during routine cataract surgery or trabeculectomy. ET-1 concentration was determined by an ET-1 ELISA kit. IOP was measured preoperatively by standard Goldmann applanation tonometry. All statistical analysis was performed using commercial predictive analytics software.. Both IOP and ET-1 concentration in aqueous humor were significantly increased in POAG (23.4 ± 6.8 mm Hg, 5.9 ± 2.9 pg/mL) and PEXG (24.3 ± 8.8 mm Hg, 7.7 ± 2.1 pg/mL) compared with control (15.0 ± 2.9 mm Hg, 4.3 ± 2.4 pg/mL). No difference was detected for plasma ET-1 concentrations. IOP and ET-1 in the aqueous humor were significantly correlated (R = 0.394, R² = 0.155, P < 0.001), although no correlation was found between IOP and ET-1 in blood plasma or between ET-1 in aqueous humor and ET-1 in plasma.. In this study, a small but highly significant correlation between IOP and the ET-1 concentration in the aqueous humor was found. Although no causative relationship can be deduced from this, ocular ET-1 effects on IOP control may merit further investigation.

Topics: Aged; Aqueous Humor; Cataract; Cataract Extraction; Endothelin-1; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Exfoliation Syndrome; Female; Glaucoma, Open-Angle; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Male; Predictive Value of Tests; Trabeculectomy

/aim: Endothelin 1 (ET-1) is considered the most potent vasoconstrictor in the body and the eye. This molecule may play a significant role in the pathobiology of exfoliation syndrome (XFS), a disorder characterised by a progressive iris vasculopathy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentration of ET-1 in the aqueous humour of cataract patients with and without XFS.. Aqueous humour samples were obtained from 25 consecutive eyes of 25 cataract patients with XFS and an equal number of age matched controls during phacoemulsification cataract surgery. None of the subjects had elevated intraocular pressure or glaucoma. ET-1 concentration in the aqueous was measured using a specific immunoassay with 100% immunoreactivity for ET-1. Total aqueous humour protein concentration was measured with a microplate Coomassie blue based method and was correlated with ET-1 concentration.. Mean ET-1 concentration in the XFS aqueous samples (4.6 (SD 2.3) pg/ml) was significantly higher than that measured in the age matched control samples (2.8 (SD 1.71) pg/ml); (p = 0.006). Although total protein concentration was significantly elevated in the XFS samples (0.380 (SD 0.159) v 0.279 (SD 0.144) mg/ml in the controls); (p = 0.023), no correlation was found between aqueous ET-1 and total protein concentration (p = 0.730).. The increased concentration of ET-1 in the aqueous humour of XFS patients suggests that ET-1 may play a role in the pathobiology of XFS.

Topics: Aged; Aqueous Humor; Case-Control Studies; Cataract Extraction; Endothelin-1; Exfoliation Syndrome; Eye Proteins; Female; Humans; Male; Prospective Studies

The authors found an increase of endothelin-1 (ET-1) plasma levels in patients with pseudoexfoliatio syndrome (PXS): 2.730 +/- 0.224 pg/ml vs 1.420 +/- 0.30S pg/ml. With Color Doppler Imaging (CDI) they found in PXS patients a decrease of peak systolic velocity values in the posterior ciliary arteries that were 12.725 +/- 2.536 cm/sec vs 15.450 +/- 3.173 cm/sec (p < 0.049) while the resistance values were increased 0.640 +/- 0.051 vs 0.548 +/- 0.058 (p < 0.001). The increase of ET-1 plasma levels may assess the vasospasm and uveal tissue hypoxia.

Topics: Aged; Blood Flow Velocity; Ciliary Arteries; Endothelin-1; Exfoliation Syndrome; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Ophthalmic Artery; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color

The authors investigate cutaneous capillary blood flow using the cold pressor test and plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentration in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and capsular glaucoma (CG), and evaluate the connection between the two factors, which reflect vasoconstrictive mechanisms with a potential role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.. The ET-1 concentration of venous blood plasma samples from 20 patients with POAG, 22 patients with CG, and 44 healthy volunteers was measured using a radioimmunoassay kit. On a separate occasion, the right hand was subjected to the cold pressor test (hand immersed in 4 degrees C water for 30 seconds, then in 30 degrees C water for 2 minutes), during which cutaneous capillary blood flow of the left middle finger was measured using a Periflux 4001 Master Laser Doppler Flowmeter (Perimed AB, Järfälla, Sweden).. In the CG group, baseline cutaneous capillary blood flow was significantly lower than either that of POAG (p = 0.001) or that of the healthy group (p = 0.046). In the CG group, time to maximal cold-induced flow reduction was significantly longer than in the POAG group (p = 0.028) or in the healthy group (p = 0.025). Also, recovery time was significantly longer in CG than in the healthy group (p = 0.008) and tended to be longer than in the POAG group. No statistically significant difference between the groups was found either in the frequency of increased vasospastic response (cold-induced flow reduction higher than 70% of the baseline value) or in ET-1 concentration. No correlation was seen between ET-1 concentration and the findings of the cold pressor test.. The results suggest that in CG, which is a systemic disease with vascular abnormalities, baseline cutaneous capillary perfusion and its response to cold and warmth are altered, without any alteration of plasma ET-1 level. The authors found that both plasma ET-1 level and the response to the cold pressor test are normal in patients with POAG. These findings suggest that regulation of cutaneous capillary perfusion and the concentration of plasma ET-1 are not related to each other in patients with glaucoma.

Topics: Biomarkers; Blood Pressure; Capillaries; Cold Temperature; Endothelin-1; Exfoliation Syndrome; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Glaucoma, Open-Angle; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; Male; Middle Aged; Radioimmunoassay; Regional Blood Flow; Skin; Vasoconstriction