COLLAGEN-SYNTHESIS ACTIVITY IN THE AQUEOUS-HUMOR OF EYES WITH GLAUCOMA SURGERY - A PILOT-STUDY

Aims - The purpose of this pilot study was to test whether the rate of collagen synthesis is measurable in the aqueous humour samples in reo perated and previously unoperated eyes. Methods - The material consist ed of 28 eyes of 27 patients, aged 5 to 82 years, in whom aqueous humo ur samples were obtained during eye surgery. Fifteen patients had no h istory of previous eye surgery (control group) while 12 patients were re-operated (study group). The carboxyterminal propeptide of type I pr ocollagen (PICP) and the aminoterminal propeptide of type III procolla gen (PIIINP) were measured by specific immunoassays in the aqueous hum our samples. Results - The mean concentration of PIIINP in the study g roup (8.4 (SD 12 5) mu g/l) was statistically significantly larger tha n that of the control group (0.4 (0.4) mu g/l) (p<0.0037). The respect ive values for PICP were 98.8 (SD 177.7) mu g/l in the study group and 0.7 (SD 2.8) mu g/l in the control group (p<0.0005). The eyes in the study group which were re-operated within 1 year showed values increas ed 20-fold compared with the eyes in the control group and those eyes in the study group which had had their previous operation more than a year ago. In three eyes aqueous humour samples were also obtained from the encapsulated Molteno bleb and showed values increased 12-fold com pared with those from the anterior chamber. Conclusions - PICP and PII INP immuno-assays are suitable for measuring the rate of collagen synt hesis in the aqueous humour and may be useful in studies on pharmacolo gical modulation of wound healing in glaucoma surgery.