[Collection of aqueous humor samples for proteome analyses].

BACKGROUND

In a single aqueous humor sample, thousands of different proteins can now be detected, providing valuable insights into disease mechanisms of both the anterior and posterior segment of the eye.

OBJECTIVE

The aim is to describe the standardized collection of high-quality aqueous humor samples obtained during cataract surgery for proteome analysis.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A systematic PubMed literature review was carried out and personal experience of the authors are presented.

RESULTS AND

CONCLUSION

Sampling of aqueous humor has been established in clinical routine for decades, e.g. as diagnostic procedure in uveitis. Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed surgeries and thus provides the opportunity to routinely collect aqueous humor samples on alarge scale and without an additional invasive procedure. A standardized process is critical to reproducibly achieve high sample quality. This includes sample collection, immediate snap-freezing on dry ice in the operating room, storage in a biobank and the connection between the sample and clinical data. For proteome analysis, several highly sensitive technologies are available that address the specific challenges of analyzing aqueous humor specimens.