Association between Heat Shock Protein-Specific T-Cell Counts and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Patients with Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma
Chhavi Saini, Shuhong Jiang, Julia Devlin, Pan Li, Yizhen Tang, Jing Tang, Jessica A. Sun, Maltish Lorenzo, Qingyi Wang, Louis R. Pasquale, Kin‐Sang Cho, Dong Feng Chen, Lucy Q. Shen
Abstract
Objective: Previous laboratory reports implicate heat shock protein (HSP)-specific T-cell responses in glaucoma pathogenesis; here, we aimed to provide direct clinical evidence by correlating systemic HSP-specific T-cell levels with glaucoma severity in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Design: Cross-sectional case-control study. Subjects: Thirty-two adult patients with POAG and 38 controls underwent blood draw and optic nerve imaging. Methods: ) was used to assess correlations. Main Outcome Measures: Correlations of HSP-specific T-cell counts, and serum levels of corresponding cytokine levels with RNFLT. Results: < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Higher levels of HSP-specific Th1 cells are associated with thinner RNFLT in patients with POAG and control subjects. The significant inverse relationship between systemic HSP-specific Th1 cell count and RNFLT supports the role of these T cells in glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Financial Disclosures: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.