title: [Cathepsin A activity in the vitreous body of patients with absolute glaucoma and intraocular tumors].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate cathepsin A activity in the vitreous body of patients with absolute glaucoma and intraocular tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The studies were performed on human vitreous body taken from eye balls which were enucleated because of absolute glaucoma (18 eyes) and intraocular tumors (14 eyes). Cathepsin A activity was determined by the ninhydrin method with synthetic substrate (N-Cbz-Phe-Ala) at its optimum pH 5.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cathepsin A activity in the human vitreous body in absolute glaucoma was twice as high as in intraocular tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that cathepsin A may participate in the pathogenesis of absolute glaucoma and that proteolysis may play a significant role in local destruction of the retina and the optic nerve.
authors.affiliation: Katedry i Kliniki Okulistyki AM w Białymstoku.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Obuchowska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stankiewicz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bańkowski
mesh_terms: D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002403:Cathepsins