title: Increased incidence of paraproteinemia and autoantibodies in patients with normal-pressure glaucoma.
abstract: We assessed the incidence of paraproteins and autoantibodies in 44 patients (mean age, 65.3 +/- 1.9 years) with normal-pressure glaucoma and 41 patients (mean age, 68.8 +/- 1.8 years) monoclonal proteins occurred more often (P = .0047) in patients with normal-pressure glaucoma (eight of 44, 18%) than in control subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma (zero of 41, 0%). Autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens, most often Sjögren's syndrome A antigen (SSA[Ro]), were also found more frequently (P = .0022) in patients with normal-pressure glaucoma (13 of 44, 30%) than in control subjects (one of 41, 2%). Paraproteins and autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens generally occurred in different patients with an overall incidence of 20 of 44 (45%) patients with normal-pressure glaucoma. In contrast, no significant difference in the incidence of antinuclear antibodies existed between the groups. These findings suggest that humoral immune mechanisms may have a role in the pathogenesis of optic neuropathy in patients with normal-pressure glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Wax
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pestronk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015994:Incidence; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000276:immunology*; D010266:Paraproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D010266:Paraproteins; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins