title: Clinical significance of serum antibody against neuron-specific enolase in glaucoma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In a recent study, we found the presence of serum autoantibody against neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in glaucoma patients. The purpose of the present paper is to investigate further the clinical significance of the presence of the serum antibody against NSE in glaucoma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum autoantibody against NSE was examined by Western blot analysis in 143 patients with glaucoma (normal tension glaucoma [NTG], 45 cases; primary open angle glaucoma [POAG] 98 cases). Clinical characteristics including visual acuity, visual field, intraocular pressure (IOP), and optic disc features were compared between the serum autoantibody-positive and the serum autoantibody-negative patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maximum IOP in the serum anti-NSE antibody-positive patients was significantly lower than that in the negative patients (P <.05). However, no statistical differences were observed in visual field loss, disc cupping, or other clinical factors. During the clinical course, rates of the presence of anti-NSE antibody were significantly higher in the early stages of POAG (P <.0001) with visual field deterioration than without it. Although it was not statistically significant, the positive rates of serum anti-NSE antibody were relatively higher in the later stages of POAG and NTG with visual field deterioration than without it.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present observations suggest that the presence of serum autoantibody against NSE may be clinically useful for predicting the progression of visual field loss in POAG patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Ikuyo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohguro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000276:immunology*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase