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Molecular genetics in glaucoma.

ABSTRACT: Glaucoma is a family of diseases whose pathology is defined by the progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells. Clinically, glaucoma presents as a distinctive optic neuropathy with associated visual field loss. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), chronic angle-closure glaucoma (ACG), and exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) are the most prevalent forms of glaucoma globally and are the most common causes of glaucoma-related blindness worldwide. A host of genetic and environmental factors contribute to glaucoma phenotypes. This review examines the current status of genetic investigations of POAG, ACG, XFG, including the less common forms of glaucoma primary congenital glaucoma (PCG), the developmental glaucomas, and pigment dispersion glaucoma.

SUBMITTER: Liu Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4293633 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Molecular genetics in glaucoma.

Liu Yutao Y Allingham R Rand RR

Experimental eye research 20110818 4

Glaucoma is a family of diseases whose pathology is defined by the progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells. Clinically, glaucoma presents as a distinctive optic neuropathy with associated visual field loss. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), chronic angle-closure glaucoma (ACG), and exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) are the most prevalent forms of glaucoma globally and are the most common causes of glaucoma-related blindness worldwide. A host of genetic and environmental factors contribute to glauc ...[more]

PMID: 21871452

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Project description:Pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome, one of the most common causes of glaucoma, represents a complex, multifactorial, late-onset disease of worldwide significance. The etiopathogenesis involves both genetic and non-genetic factors. The PEX-specific tissue alterations are caused by a generalized fibrotic matrix process, which has been characterized as a stress-induced elastosis associated with the excessive production and abnormal cross-linking of elastic microfibrils into fibrillar PEX aggregates. The identification of lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) as a major genetic risk factor for PEX syndrome and PEX glaucoma further supports a role of elastogenesis and elastosis in the pathophysiology of PEX, as LOXL1 is a pivotal cross-linking enzyme in elastic fiber formation and stabilization. The available data suggest that LOXL1 is markedly dysregulated depending on the stage of the fibrotic process. While transient upregulation of LOXL1 during the early stages of PEX fibrogenesis participates in the formation and aggregation of abnormal PEX fiber deposits, the decreased expression of LOXL1 during the advanced stages of the disease may affect elastin metabolism and promote elastotic processes, e.g. in the lamina cribrosa, predisposing to glaucoma development. However, in view of the low penetrance of the PEX-associated risk variants of LOXL1, other genetic and/or environmental factors must contribute to the risk of developing the PEX phenotype. Some evidence exists for the contribution of additional genes with relatively small effects, e.g. clusterin (CLU), contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), apolipoprotein E (APOE), glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFA), in certain study populations. Several environmental conditions associated with PEX, such as oxidative stress as well as pro-fibrotic cytokines and growth factors, can regulate expression of LOXL1 and elastic proteins in vitro and may therefore act as co-modulating external factors. Ultimately, both detection and functional characterization of yet unidentified genetic and non-genetic factors may lead to the development of more precise screening tools for the risk of PEX glaucoma.

Dataset Information

Molecular genetics in glaucoma.

Publications

Molecular genetics in glaucoma.

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