Levels of Antibodies against Human Heat Shock Protein (HSP) 60 in Patients with Glaucoma in Poland

BACKGROUND Although elevated intraocular pressure is a major risk factor for the development of glaucoma, there is increasing evidence that the immune system may be involved in the development of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). The aim of this study was to determine if NTG is associated with elevated levels of antibodies against human heat shock protein (HSP) 60. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted in 139 subjects (35 subjects with NTG [Group 1], 34 subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma /POAG/ [Group 2], 24 subjects with autoimmune rheumatic diseases [Group 3], and 36 healthy controls [Group 4]). All subjects had complete ophthalmologic examination (visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, tonometry, gonioscopy; visual-field examination, and optical coherence tomography /OCT/ of the optic nerve head and the macula). Blood samples were collected for the measurements of serum levels of antibodies against human HSP60. RESULTS The subjects with rheumatic diseases had the highest median serum level of antibodies against HSP60 - 20.49 ng/mL. The values in the subjects with NTG, POAG, and in controls were 18.79 ng/mL, 18.61 ng/mL and 17.61 ng/mL, respectively (p=0.96). CONCLUSIONS This study does not confirm the hypothesis that normal-tension glaucoma is associated with elevated blood levels of antibodies against human heat shock protein (HSP) 60.