DR. PRIYA SHARMA

DR. DEVANAND BHARTI

Abstract

To study the association between serum levels of TNF alpha with the severity of primary open-angle glaucoma.

Material and method: In an analytical cross-sectional study among 22 cases and 22 controls serum levels of TNF-alpha and VEGF- A were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The assay was performed in duplicates on an automated ELISA analyzer. Observation and results: Mean serum TNF-alpha ( 5.43 +/- 0.44)pg/ml was significantly increased in cases of primary open-angle glaucoma compared to age and sex-matched normal healthy controls. However, no significant association was seen between serum TNF-alpha and VEGF-A values and age, gender, locality, and disease severity. Conclusion: High systemic level of an inflammatory cytokine, like TNF-alpha, is associated with cases of primary open-angle glaucoma. However, it cannot be concluded whether it can be used as a biomarker for early diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma and this needs further investigations.

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