Purpose: This study was conducted for the purpose of comparing differences in the types of free radicals in the aqueous humor of glaucoma and cataract patients.
Subjects and methods: Free radicals in the aqueous humor of 44 glaucoma eyes and 15 cataract eyes were measured by electron spin resonance (ESR), followed by comparing the detection rates. In addition, subgroup analyses were also conducted for the presence or absence of complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) and neovascular glaucoma (NVG) in the patients.
Results: Three types of free radicals were measured, ascorbate-free radical (AFR), AFR containing a trace amount of superoxide (SO) (AFR+), and SO containing a trace amount of AFR (SO+). Significant differences were observed in the detection rates of each type between the glaucoma group (maximum SO+) and the cataract group (maximum AFR), between the DM group (maximum SO+) and the non-DM group (maximum AFR) in the glaucoma, and between the DM group (maximum AFR+) and the non-DM group (maximum AFR) in the cataract. SO+was detected in all cases of NVG regardless of whether they were DM or non-DM.
Conclusion: Glaucoma cases are more susceptible to the generation of SO in the aqueous humor than cataracts, and they are more liable to occur in DM than in non-DM in both glaucoma and cataract cases. This study suggest an evidence for a strong correlation with SO and vascularization in NVG.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 118: 759-767, 2014.