title: Level of vitreous alpha-B crystallin in eyes with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alpha-B crystallin (αB-crystallin) is a molecular chaperone, and one of the small heat shock proteins (sHSPs). αB-crystallin has been shown to have neuroprotective properties. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of αB-crystallin in eyes with a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Vitreous samples were collected before vitrectomy from 32 eyes of 32 consecutive patients with RRD. The concentration of αB-crystallin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Vitreous samples were also collected before vitrectomy from 16 patients with an idiopathic macular hole and epiretinal membrane, and used as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 56 years (range, 31-67 years) in the RRD cases and 66 years (range, 49-77 years) in the controls. The mean level of αB-crystallin was significantly higher in the RRD cases (36.7 ± 37.4 ng/ml) than that in controls (8.5 ± 12.2 ng/ml; P = 0.0028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased level of αB-crystallin suggests that αB-crystallin may play a neuroprotective role by lessening retinal cell death after a retinal detachment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-0856, Japan, t.baba.oph@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oshitari
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000378:metabolism; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism*; D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain