Changes in the Lipidomic Profile of Aqueous Humor in Open-Angle Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To identify and determine differences in lipid profiles of aqueous humor (AH) in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The lipidomic profile of 10 samples of AH of patients with OAG and 10 controls was analyzed. Patients with a history of anterior segment surgery, anterior segment pathology, or intraocular injections were excluded. Topical ocular medications within the last 6 months were reported. AH was obtained during the first step of nonperforating deep sclerotomy in OAG patients and during refractive lensectomy in controls. Lipidomic ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was used to perform an optimal profiling of glycerolipids, sterol lipids, sphingolipids, and glycerophospholipids. Metabolite extraction was accomplished by fractionating the samples into pools of species with similar physicochemical properties.

RESULTS: The levels of 37 of 110 lipids changed in OAG when compared with controls samples. The concentration of most diacylglycerophosphocholines and 1-ether, 2-acylglycerophosphocholines increases in OAG when compared with healthy controls. In addition, 14 sphingomyelins increased significantly, up to 2.75-fold, in OAG. 5 cholesteryl esters are also present at higher levels in OAG when compared with controls.

CONCLUSIONS: The lipid composition of AH in OAG patients shows differences when compared with healthy individuals. Changes in lipid synthesis may relate to oxidative stress metabolic response in OAG and may play an important role in the pathophysiology of the disease.