title: Asymmetric dimethyloarginin (ADMA) concentration in the aqueous humor of patients with exfoliation syndrome or exfoliative glaucoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asymmetric dimethyloarginin or dimethylarginin (ADMA) is a marker and maker of oxidative stress. It is elevated in several pathological conditions, such as hyperhomocysteinemia and endothelial dysfunction, which have also been reported in patients with exfoliation syndrome (XFS), or exfoliative glaucoma (XFG). We evaluated ADMA levels in the aqueous humor of XFS and XFG patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 48 aqueous samples; 16 from cataract patients with XFS, 16 from cataract patients with XFG and 16 from age-matched cataract control patients. ADMA levels were determined employing a commercial ELISA kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ADMA concentration was significantly greater in XFG patients (0.398 ± 0.026 μM) compared to either XFS (0.168 ± 0.028 μM; p < 0.0001) or normal cataract controls (0.245 ± 0.025 μM; p = 0.0002). In contrast, no significant difference was detected for ADMA levels in the aqueous of XFS patients as compared to normal controls (p = 0.0477).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aqueous humor ADMA concentration is significantly elevated in XFG patients supporting the view that oxidative stress plays a key role in XFG pathobiology. The lower level of this marker in XFS suggests that the development of XFG is a prerequisite for ADMA elevation.
authors: 1st University Department of Ophthalmology, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: Dimitrios G
authors: DG
authors: Mikropoulos
authors: Paraskevi
authors: P
authors: Mallini
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Michopoulou
authors: Theodoros
authors: T
authors: Giannopoulos
authors: Esther
authors: E
authors: Arranz-Marquez
authors: Georgios G
authors: GG
authors: Koliakos
authors: Anastasios G P
authors: AG
authors: Konstas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D002386:Cataract / Q000378:metabolism; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase