C-reactive protein levels in normal tension glaucoma.
OBJECTIVE
To determine C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG).


METHODS
This study included 20 cases with NTG and 30 controls, with no history of ocular disease. Plasma CRP levels of all the study participants were determined using a highly sensitive CRP kit.


RESULTS
Twenty cases (11 males, 9 females, mean age 69 +/- 5 years) with NTG and 30 age-matched controls (15 males, 15 females, mean age 68 +/- 6) were evaluated. Both groups had similar demographic parameters (age, sex, BMI). Plasma CRP levels were significantly higher in the NTG cases than in controls (median [range], 3.20 [0.17-8.4] mg/dL compared with 0.5 [0.1-3.2], P < 0.001). The mean plasma CRP level was significantly elevated in the NTG cases compared with the controls (3.21 +/- 0.6 mg/dL and 0.85 +/- 0.17 mg/dL, respectively, P < 0 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that higher CRP levels may be associated with NTG. It is possible that a vascular inflammatory process is involved in the etiology of this glaucoma.
Leibovitch
Igal
I
Department of Ophthalmology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. leiboigal5@yahoo.com.au
Kurtz
Shimon
S
Kesler
Anat
A
Feithliher
Nataly
N
Shemesh
Gabi
G
Sela
Ben-Ami
BA
D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male
D002097:C-Reactive Protein