IDENTIFICATION OF HEAVY-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT SOLUBLE-PROTEIN IN AQUEOUS-HUMOR IN HUMAN PHACOLYTIC GLAUCOMA

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 17  (5) , 398-402
Abstract
Aqueous humor was obtained by paracentesis at the time of cataract surgery from 6 patients with phacolytic glaucoma, diagnosed on the basis of acute unilateral open-angle glaucoma associated with an apparently leaking hypermature or mature cataract, and from 6 control patients with immature cataracts. Of the latter, 3 had primary open-angle glaucoma. Quantities of heavy-MW (HMW) protein (MW greater than 150 .times. 106) sufficient to obstruct aqueous outflow were identified in all 6 phacolytic aqueous humor specimens but in none of the controls. Three of the hypermature cataractous lenses from the cases of phacolytic glaucoma were also examined and had 14-fold greater quantities of HMW protein in their liquefying cortex than were present in the cortex of immature cataractous lenses. These findings, correlated with experimental HMW protein perfusion studies in excised human eyes already reported, strongly suggest that direct obstruction of the aqueous outflow channels by liberated HMW soluble lens protein may be a significant and previously unappreciated factor in the pathogenesis of phacolytic glaucoma.

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