Kurzfassung

Glaucoma was, for some time, only seen as a neurodegenerative disease and the actual mechanisms causing RCG death are still unclear. But, in the past years growing evidence of an autoimmune mechanism being involved in the pathogenesis of glaucoma was found, at least in a subset of patients. These studies suggest that antibodies against ocular antigens such as heat shock proteins (HSPs), gluthathione-S-transferase (GST), and glycosaminoglycans are possible neurodegenerative factors in...Glaucoma was, for some time, only seen as a neurodegenerative disease and the actual mechanisms causing RCG death are still unclear. But, in the past years growing evidence of an autoimmune mechanism being involved in the pathogenesis of glaucoma was found, at least in a subset of patients. These studies suggest that antibodies against ocular antigens such as heat shock proteins (HSPs), gluthathione-S-transferase (GST), and glycosaminoglycans are possible neurodegenerative factors in glaucomatous eyes.
In this study we examine the specific IgG autoantibody patterns against human ocular antigens in patients with glaucoma (POAG and NTG) and patients with ocular hypertension. Since previous studies used mainly bovine antigens, it is the aim of this study to demonstrate that the different antibody profiles between glaucoma patients and healthy subjects are autoantibodies and not antibody cross reactivities against bovine antigens.
The sera will be tested against Western blots of human retinal antigens and also against Western blots of human optic nerve antigens. IgG antibody patterns will analyzed by multivariate statistical techniques and significant antigens will identified by mass spectrometry.» weiterlesen» einklappen