Abstract
Purpose. This study was performed to quantify the amount of transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) in aqueous humor obtained from patients undergoing glaucoma filtration surgery or cataract extraction. Methods. Aqueous humor was collected at the time of surgery through a paracentesis site prior to any other ocular incisions. Approximately 0.1 ml was immersed in liquid nitrogen and stored at -70°C until assayed. The level of TGF-β2 from 34 eyes with glaucoma and 34 eyes that underwent cataract surgery were determined using a double antibody "sandwich" enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (sensitivity: 2 pg/ml). Results. The mean concentration of TGF-β2 in aqueous humor from glaucoma patients was 1137.8 pg/ml while the concentration in cataract patients was 760 pg/ml. In addition the standard error of the mean indicates that there is a statistically significant difference between TGF-β2 concentrations of glaucoma and cataract subjects. Aqueous from African -American patients was found to have a higher level of TGF-β2 compared to caucasions (p≤0.01). No correlation was found between the age of the subjects, history of previous ocular surgery, or ocular medications and the TGF-β2 concentration of the aqueous humor from either normal or glaucomatous eyes. Conclusion. Compared with patients that underwent elective cataract surgery the concentration of TGF-β2 in aqueous humor from glaucoma patients was significantly greater.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S27 |
| Journal | Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Feb 15 1996 |
| Externally published | Yes |