title: Reduction in blood glutathione levels occurs similarly in patients with primary-open angle or normal tension glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate in parallel the systemic glutathione levels of patients suffering from primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) or normal tension glaucoma (NTG) with comparable functional loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four POAG patients, 30 NTG patients, and 53 controls were subjected to blood analysis to detect the level of circulating glutathione in its reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) forms. Systemic blood pressure (BP) and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) parameters were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independent of age, POAG and NTG patients demonstrated significantly lower GSH and t-GSH levels than age-matched controls (P < 0.001). Additionally, a lower redox index was found, but in POAG patients only, in comparison to both NTG and control groups (P = 0.020). GSSG levels were, however, similar between all study groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates, for the first time, that both POAG and NTG patients exhibit lower GSH and t-GSH levels than age-matched controls, indicating a similar general compromise of the antioxidant defense systems may exist in both conditions.
authors.affiliation: Vascular Research Laboratory, Ophthalmic Research Group, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom. d.gherghel@aston.ac.uk
authors.forename: Doina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gherghel
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mroczkowska
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D062186:Arterial Pressure; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018450:Disease Progression; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood*; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D057066:Low Tension Glaucoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D005978:Glutathione; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide
keywords: glutathione; normal tension glaucoma; open angle glaucoma