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Abstract #106237 Published in IGR 23-3
Neurodegeneration Markers Galectin-3 and Apolipoprotein E Are Elevated in the Aqueous Humor of Eyes With Glaucoma
Pitts KM; Neeson CE; Hall NE; Lin JB; Falah HK; Wang SL; Lo KT; Song CE; Margeta MA; Solá-Del Valle DATranslational vision science & technology 2022; 11: 1
PURPOSE: Galectin-3 (Gal-3) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) are markers of activated microglia in neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system, whose targeting is protective in mouse models of glaucoma. In this study, we examined levels of Gal-3 and APOE in human aqueous humor (AH) and defined their clinical associations with glaucoma. METHODS: We collected AH from 59 glaucoma patients and 15 controls at the start of planned ophthalmic surgery. Gal-3 and APOE levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Total protein in AH was quantified by bicinchoninic acid assay. Significant associations between Gal-3, APOE, and clinical covariates were defined using univariate and multivariate linear regression models. RESULTS: Gal-3 and APOE levels were significantly elevated in the AH of glaucoma patients compared to controls (P = 0.004 and P < 0.001, respectively). Gal-3 and APOE were positively correlated across the entire cohort (r = 0.65, P = 6.2E-9). No association was observed between Gal-3 and total protein or APOE and total protein (P = 0.35 and P = 0.50, respectively), indicating that their levels were not increased in glaucomatous AH due to nonspecific protein accumulation. Multivariate linear regression modeling revealed significant associations between Gal-3 and maximum recorded intraocular pressure (P = 0.009) and between APOE and number of past ophthalmic surgeries (P = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that Gal-3 and APOE are significantly elevated in the AH of eyes with glaucoma and are associated with a history of poorly controlled disease. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: Gal-3 and APOE in AH may inform clinical decision-making as quantifiable readouts of microglial activation in eyes with glaucoma.
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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