The relationship between gelatinase A activity in aqueous humor and glaucoma

Purpose: To investigate whether abnormal expression of gelatinase A in aque ous humor may be related to the development of glaucoma, the activity of ge latinase A in aqueous humor of patients with glaucoma and patients with cat aract was measured and compared. Methods: Six primary patients with open-angle glaucoma (POAG), four patient s with chronic angle closure glaucoma (CACG), four patients with normal ten sion glaucoma (NTG), and 14 patients with cataract were enrolled. The aqueo us humor of each patient was collected during surgery, and total protein co ncentration and gelatinase activity in the aqueous humor were measured by p rotein assay kit and zymography, respectively. Results: In patients with POAG, total protein concentration doubled and gel atinase A activity increased by 3.9 times compared with patients with catar act. However, there were no statistically significant differences in total protein concentration and gelatinase A activity in patients with CACG or NT G compared with patients with cataract. Conclusion: The development of POAG may be associated with the abnormal exp ression of gelatinase A in aqueous humor.