Disturbed oxidant/antioxidant balance in aqueous humour of patients with exfoliation syndrome

Purpose To establish the total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and oxidative stress index (OSI) of the aqueous humour in patients presenting exfoliation syndrome (EXS) without glaucoma. Methods The TOS, TAC and OSI of the aqueous humour of patients with EXS (group 1, n = 17) and patients without EXS (group 2, n = 25) who underwent cataract surgery were evaluated. Samples were measured spectrophotometrically using a colourimetric method. The MannWhitney U, independent-samples t tests, Pearson correlation and analysis of covariance tests were used in the statistical analyses. Results The mean TOS in group 1 and 2 patients was 57.6 +/- 32.4 and 30.4 +/- 22.6 mmol/L, respectively, which is a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001). The mean TAC level in group 1 and 2 patients was 2.3 +/- 0.7 and 2.5 +/- 0.7 mmol/L, respectively, and although TAC was decreased in group 1 relative to group 2, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.55). The mean OSI in group 1 and 2 patients was 27.4 +/- 17.1 and 12.5 +/- 8.3 mmol/L, respectively, with the mean OSI level statistically higher in group 1 (p = 0.03). Conclusion Our findings provide evidence that the aqueous humour of EXS patients is characterised by increased oxidative stress and a disturbed oxidant/antioxidant balance. The increased oxidative stress and decreased levels of antioxidants in ocular fluids of EXS patients may play a significant role in the pathogenesis and complications of EXS.