title: The Association Between Aqueous Connective Tissue Growth Factor and the Severity of Age-related Cataracts as Graded by the Lens Opacities Classification System III.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationship between aqueous humor concentrations of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and the severity of age-related cataracts.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective clinical study on 43 eyes of 43 patients with senile cataracts scheduled to undergo routine phacoemulsification surgery. Before surgery, all patients were graded for cataract severity using the Lens Opacities Classification System III in terms of four features: nuclear opalescence (NO), nuclear color (NC), cortical cataracts (C), and posterior sub-capsular cataracts (P). During surgery, aqueous humor samples were obtained from all patients, and sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to determine CTGF concentrations. To assess any relationship between cataract severity and CTGF levels of the aqueous humor, various correlation analyses and multiple linear regression were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a positive correlation between the overall cataract grade and aqueous CTGF level (p < 0.05). In addition, four features of the cataract grade (nuclear opalescence, nuclear color, cortical cataract and posterior sub-capsular cataract) were positively correlated with the aqueous CTGF concentration (p < 0.05). The final regression model identified overall cataract grade as an independent predictor of increased CTGF levels in the aqueous humor (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CTGF tends to increase in the aqueous humor as the severity of age-related cataracts increases. Therefore, this cytokine may play an important role in the pathogenesis of age-related cataracts. Additional studies are required for clarification of this finding.
authors: a Department of Ophthalmology , Incheon St. Mary's Hospital and.
authors: Hyung Bin
authors: HB
authors: Hwang
authors: a Department of Ophthalmology , Incheon St. Mary's Hospital and.
authors: Hye Bin
authors: HB
authors: Yim
authors: b Department of Ophthalmology , St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Korea.
authors: Yang Kyung
authors: YK
authors: Cho
authors: b Department of Ophthalmology , St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Korea.
authors: Jin A
authors: JA
authors: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor
keywords: Age-related cataracts; aqueous humor; connective tissue growth factor