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Autoimmunity and glaucoma
Author(s) -
Grus Franz
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2019.8287
Subject(s) - glaucoma , autoantibody , medicine , antibody , autoimmunity , immunology , disease , autoimmune disease , ophthalmology
Several clinical studies were able to demonstrate alterations in the abundances of various autoantibodies in individuals with glaucoma. Interestingly, these changes in serum antibody profiles of glaucoma patients are stable among different study populations and differ between the different glaucoma subtypes. Thereby, not only antibodies with a higher concentration but also such with a lower level in glaucoma patients in comparison to healthy individuals have been observed. Of particular interest here are the low abundant antibodies present in glaucoma patients since they display neuroprotective properties in vitro and in glaucoma animal model, and could hold a hitherto unused therapeutic potential. Although glaucoma is not considered a classical autoimmune disease, these changes in antibody profiles hold an enormous diagnostic potential based on autoimmune biomarkers and could additionally open up new therapeutic options.