title: Lead accumulation as possible risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma.
abstract: We evaluated the association between hair lead concentrations and primary open-angle glaucoma. Ninety-eight Japanese patients (40 males, 58 females; average age 57.6 ± 10.8 years) with primary open-angle glaucoma and control subjects (131 males, 114 females; average age 56.0 ± 12.8 years) were recruited in this study. Hair lead levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Hair lead concentrations between primary open-angle glaucoma and control groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. As a subgroup analysis, we compared hair lead concentrations between low-tension glaucoma, high-tension glaucoma, and control groups using one-factor analysis of variance. Lead accumulation levels were significantly higher in the female subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma compared to the control group (P=0.03). Lead accumulation levels were significantly higher in female patients with low intraocular pressure compared to control group 2 (P=0.02). A higher hair lead level, which reflects the total body burden of lead, was observed to be associated with primary open-angle glaucoma in females especially with low-tension glaucoma. Accumulation of lead may be an unrecognized risk factor of non-pressure-dependent glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinanomachi 35, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan. glaucoma.keio@gmail.com
authors.forename: Kenya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yuki
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dogru
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohtake
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubota
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007854:Lead