Melatonin concentrations in aqueous humor of glaucoma patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether glaucoma patients exhibit an abnormal melatonin concentration in aqueous humor.


METHODS
Case-controlled study, laboratory investigation.


METHODS
Aqueous humor and plasma samples of 28 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and 31 nonglaucoma control patients were collected during surgery, and additional plasma samples were taken the night preceding surgery. Melatonin concentrations were determined using direct radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
This study shows detectable concentrations of melatonin in the aqueous humor of healthy humans (45% of subjects) and of glaucoma patients (36% of subjects) sampled in the morning, with similar levels of aqueous humor melatonin concentrations in both groups (6.4 +/- 9.3 standard deviation (SD) pg/ml and 3.6 +/- 1.9 pg/ml, respectively). We find no significant association between the severity of glaucoma and melatonin levels in aqueous humor or in plasma.


CONCLUSIONS
Moderate and severe glaucoma does not appear to be associated with abnormal melatonin concentrations in aqueous humor, at least during the morning sampling period assayed in this study.
Chiquet
Christophe
C
Department of Ophthalmology, Edouard Herriot Hospital, Lyon, France. chiquet@lyon.inserm.fr
Claustrat
Bruno
B
Thuret
Gilles
G
Brun
Jocelyne
J
Cooper
Howard M
HM
Denis
Philippe
P
D000368:Aged; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
D008550:Melatonin