title: Plasma homocysteine levels in patients with normal tension glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether there is an association of elevated plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma levels of Hcy (fluorescence polarization immunoassay), vitamin B6 (high-performance liquid chromatography), vitamin B12, and folate levels (immunoassay) were determined in 42 patients with NTG and in 42 age-matched and sex-matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference regarding Hcy (NTG: 10.95 μmol/L±2.65; controls: 11.29 μmol/L±2.76) (P=0.639), vitamin B6 (NTG: 14.45 ng/mL±12.89; controls: 13.57 ng/mL±10.41) (P=0.629), vitamin B12 (NTG: 387.73 pg/mL±282.04; controls: 423.27 pg/mL±188.85) (P=0.052) and folate (NTG: 9.45ng/mL±3.42; controls: 10.82 ng/mL±4.48) (P=0.181) levels were found between both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An association of elevated Hcy levels and NTG was not found and therefore a role of Hcy as a modifiable risk factor in the pathogenesis of NTG seems unlikely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. christopher.roessler@uk-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Rössler
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baleanu
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Reulbach
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lewczuk
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bleich
authors.forename: Friedrich E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kornhuber
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schlötzer-Schrehardt
authors.forename: Anselm G M
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Juenemann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D016231:Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D057066:Low Tension Glaucoma / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D025101:Vitamin B 6 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D025101:Vitamin B 6; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12