STUDIES ON PLASMA CHOLINESTERASE ISOENZYMES IN GLAUCOMA

By means of a disc electrophoretic separation technique, followed by a histochemical thiocholine staining method and transmission densitometry, plasma cholinesterase isoenzymes have been determined in seven patients with chronic simple glaucoma and in six normal subjects. In five of seven patients and in two of six normal subjects, an extra cholinesterase band was detected. This component-the specificity of which is based on its activity against butyrylthiocholine and inhibition by diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate-may be of genetic origin and correlated with chronic simple glaucoma, but the material is too small for any statistical evaluation. Further studies are necessary to solve the problems of its enzymatic properties, occurrence in a normal population and in glaucoma patients, and its possible genetic origin. © 1968.