Survey of eye patients' serum for biomarkers of primary open angle glaucoma in Gwagwalada, Nigeria: serum biomarkers for primary open angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To determine and compare serum parameters of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients with that of non-glaucoma eye patients towards discovering biomarkers for POAG.

METHODS

The fasting blood of 235 adult eye patients including 96 POAG and 139 non-glaucoma was collected, processed and serum analysed for urea and creatinine, electrolytes, enzymes, protein, bilirubin and lipids.

RESULTS

Two hundred and thirty-five adult participants of 42 ethnics including 96 with POAG and 139 non-glaucoma were studied. The age range was 19-85 (mean 53.70±13.15 POAG; 46.05±14.00 non-glaucoma) years and (114/235, 48.5%) were males. The mean serum parameters for POAG versus (v) non-glaucoma include Urea 37.04SE2.46 v 27.01SE1.00, P = 0.000; Creatinine 1.08SE0.16 v 1.68SE0.15, P = 0.007; Chloride 86.47SE2.91 v 78.63SE1.43, P = 0.017; Sodium 140.16SE3.82 v 124.83SE3.17, P = 0.953; Potassium 4.70SE0.19 v 4.67SE0.25, P = 0.29; Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) 17.47SE1.93 v 93.09SE13.87, P = 0.000; Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) 3.33SE0.61 v 14.95SE1.49, P = 0.000; Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 16.90SE1.57 v 21.37SE7.85, P = 0.258; Total protein 5.60SE0.15 v 6.03SE0.09, P = 0.015; Albumin 3.26SE0.09 v 3.28SE0.05, P = 0.83; Globulin 2.34SE0.15 v 2.75SE0.09, P = 0.020; Direct bilirubin 0.61SE0.04 v 0.57SE0.04, P = 0.32; Total bilirubin 0.53SE0.06 v 0.90SE0.16, P = 0.14; Cholesterol 169.39SE6.30 v 214.17SE4.60, P = 0.078; High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) 49.53SE2.58 v 45.11SE0.76, P = 0.104, and Triglyceride 80.12SE4.79 v 91.44 SE3.84, P = 0.271.

CONCLUSION

The serum urea, creatinine, chloride, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, total protein, and globulin showed high potential as biomarkers for primary open angle glaucoma. These serum parameters should be further investigated to determine their specificity for primary open angle glaucoma.