title: C-reactive protein levels in normal tension glaucoma.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. leiboigal5@yahoo.com.au
authors.forename: Igal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leibovitch
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kesler
authors.forename: Nataly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Feithliher
authors.forename: Gabi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shemesh
authors.forename: Ben-Ami
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Sela
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein