Aqueous humour levels of ghrelin in exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma patients

Purpose To investigate levels of ghrelin in the aqueous humour (AqH) of patients with exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma and compare them to levels of ghrelin in control subjects. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 15 patients with exfoliation syndrome, 8 with exfoliation glaucoma and 12 control subjects for whom cataract surgery was indicated. The AqH was aspirated from the anterior chamber with a 27-G needle under sterile conditions prior to tissue manipulation. Ghrelin levels were quantified using radioimmunassay kits. Results Levels of ghrelin in the AqH were 187.87 +/- 80.1 pg/mL in the eyes exhibiting exfoliation syndrome, 98.53 +/- 50.9 pg/mL in the eyes exhibiting exfoliation glaucoma and 111.40 +/- 77.5 pg/mL in the controls. Ghrelin level of patients with exfoliation syndrome were significantly higher than those of patients with exfoliation glaucoma and the controls (P<0.05). Ghrelin levels of patients with exfoliation glaucoma were lower than those of the controls but were not reach statistically significant (P>0.05). Age, gender and IOP did not have a significant effect on ghrelin levels in patients with exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma. Conclusion This study is the first to report elevated levels of ghrelin in the AqH in eyes exhibiting exfoliation syndrome. Findings suggest ghrelin might play role in the etiopathogenesis of exfoliation syndrome to exfoliation glaucoma.