Vitreous fluid levels of beta-amyloid((1-42)) and tau in patients with retinal diseases.
OBJECTIVE
A decrease in beta-amyloid(1-42) (Abeta42) and an increase in tau in the cerebrospinal fluid are reported to be characteristic phenomena in Alzheimer's disease patients. To test the idea that Abeta42 and tau contribute to the development of retinal diseases, we measured Abeta42 and tau concentrations in the vitreous fluid from patients with macular hole (n = 13), diabetic retinopathy (n = 15), or glaucoma concurrent with other ocular diseases (n = 8).


METHODS
Vitreous samples were collected from patients who underwent vitrectomy, and sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to determine the concentrations of Abeta42 and tau.


RESULTS
By comparison with the levels in the control macular-hole patients (33.9 +/- 7.1 pg/ml for Abeta42; 3.3 +/- 3.2 pg/ml for tau), there was a significant decrease in the Abeta42 level and a significant increase in the tau level in patients with diabetic retinopathy (1.8 +/- 1.9 pg/ml for Abeta42, P = 0.002; 153.7 +/- 71.6 pg/ml for tau, P = 0.041) or glaucoma concurrent with other ocular diseases (2.8 +/- 1.8 pg/ml for Abeta42, P = 0.006; 113.6 +/- 43.1 pg/ml for tau, P = 0.023).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate the possibility of a role for Abeta42 and tau in the pathogenesis of some retinal diseases.
Yoneda
Shinji
S
Research and Development Center, Santen Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., Ikoma, Japan.
Hara
Hideaki
H
Hirata
Akira
A
Fukushima
Mikiko
M
Inomata
Yasuya
Y
Tanihara
Hidenobu
H
D000368:Aged; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism*; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42); D016875:tau Proteins