title: Elevated homocysteine levels in aqueous humor of patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine total homocysteine levels in aqueous humor of pseudoexfoliation open-angle glaucoma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total homocysteine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in aqueous humor and plasma of 29 patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma and 31 control patients with cataract. Patients with factors affecting homocysteine levels were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed significantly elevated (twofold) homocysteine levels in the aqueous humor of the glaucoma patients (Z = -5.11, P <.0001). Additionally, the calculated ratio (plasma:aqueous humor) was significantly lower in these patients (Z = -3.57, P <.001), and aqueous homocysteine was significantly correlated with their respective elevated plasma levels (r =.42, P =.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because homocysteine induces vascular injury and alterations of extracellular matrix, high aqueous homocysteine may trigger the abnormal matrix accumulation characteristic. It may reflect the proposed impairment of the blood-aqueous barrier of pseudoexfoliation open-angle glaucoma and be involved in its pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. stefan.bleich@psych.imed.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bleich
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roedl
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Von Ahsen
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schlötzer-Schrehardt
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Reulbach
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Friedrich E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: Gottfried O H
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Naumann
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kornhuber
authors.forename: Anselm G M
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Jünemann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018916:Blood-Aqueous Barrier; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000378:metabolism*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine