title: Aqueous humor erythropoietin levels in open-angle glaucoma patients with and without TTR V30M familial amyloid polyneuropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) patients. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a cytokine that has been shown to play a role in neuroprotection and is endogenously produced in the eye. EPO levels in the aqueous humor are increased in eyes with glaucoma. In this study, we evaluated the EPO concentration in the aqueous humor of FAP and non-FAP patients, with and without glaucoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Undiluted aqueous humor samples were obtained from 42 eyes that underwent glaucoma surgery, phacoemulsification, or vitrectomy. EPO concentration in the aqueous humor and blood were measured using the Immulite 2000 Xpi using an automatic analyzer (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean EPO concentration in the aqueous humor of non-FAP glaucoma eyes group 2 (75.73±13.25 mU/ml) was significantly higher than non-FAP cataract eyes (17.22±5.33 mU/ml; p<0.001), FAP glaucoma eyes (18.82±10.16 mU/ml; p<0.001), and FAP nonglaucoma eyes (20.62±6.22 mU/ml; p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between FAP nonglaucoma eyes versus non-FAP cataract eyes (p = 0.23) and FAP glaucoma eyes versus FAP nonglaucoma eyes (p = 0.29). In the glaucoma groups, there was no correlation between the aqueous humor EPO concentration and the ocular pressure (p = 0.95) and mean deviation (p = 0.41). There was no correlation between the EPO serum concentration and EPO aqueous humor concentration in our patients (p = 0.77).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike other glaucomatous patients, FAP patients with glaucoma do not show increased and potentially neuroprotective endocular EPO production in the aqueous humor and may need more aggressive glaucoma management.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology, Hospital de Santo António, Porto ; Unidade Clínica de Paramiloidose, Hospital de Santo António, Porto ; UMIB, ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto.
authors.forename: João M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Beirão
authors.affiliation: UMIB, ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto ; INSA Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Porto.
authors.forename: Luciana M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Service, Hospital Santo António, Porto.
authors.forename: João C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology, Hospital de Santo António, Porto ; UMIB, ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto.
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Menéres
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology, Hospital de Santo António, Porto.
authors.forename: Bernardete B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.affiliation: UMIB, ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto.
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.affiliation: UMIB, ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto ; INSA Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Porto.
authors.forename: Paulo P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology, Hospital de Santo António, Porto ; UMIB, ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto.
authors.forename: Paulo A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Unidade Clínica de Paramiloidose, Hospital de Santo António, Porto ; UMIB, ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Porto.
authors.forename: Idalina B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Beirão
mesh_terms: D028227:Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003710:Demography; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050505:Mutant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin