Neurofilament light chain: a new marker for neuronal decay in the anterior chamber fluid of patients with glaucoma

• Published in: British journal of ophthalmology Vol. 107; no. 10; pp. 1432 - 1437
• Main Authors: Woltsche, Nora, Valentin, Katharina, Hoeflechner, Lukas, Guttmann, Andreas, Horwath-Winter, Jutta, Schneider, Mona Regina, Ivastinovic, Domagoj, Lindner, Marlene, Schmetterer, Leopold, Singh, Neena, Riedl, Regina, Buchmann, Arabella, Khalil, Michael, Lindner, Ewald
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JR BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.10.2023; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Age; Alzheimer's disease; Anterior chamber; Aqueous humour; Automation; Biomarkers; Cataracts; Clinical science; Eye surgery; Glaucoma; Light; Males; Neurological disorders; Patients; Software; White people; United States > US
• ISSN: 0007-1161; 1468-2079
• DOI: 10.1136/bjo-2021-320828

Background/AimsNeurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in cerebrospinal fluid and serum are reliable indicators for neuroaxonal damage in a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we investigate NfL levels in serum and anterior chamber fluid of patients with glaucoma.MethodsPatients scheduled for routine glaucoma or cataract surgery were recruited for this study. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT, Heidelberg Spectralis). NfL levels in serum and in anterior chamber fluid were analysed with Simoa SR-X Analyzer (Quanterix; NFLIGHT, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA). T-test was used for parametric data and Mann-Whitney-U test for nonparametric data. Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used to investigate correlations. P values<0.05 were considered as statistically significant.ResultsSixty patients with glaucoma and 58 controls were enrolled. Serum NfL concentration of patients with glaucoma was similar to serum NfL concentration in controls (median (IQR); 22.7 (18.9) pg/mL vs 22.5 (24.0) pg/mL; p=0.763). A positive correlation of serum NfL with age was observed in both patients with glaucoma (r=0.77; p<0.001) and in the control group (r=0.82, p<0.001). In the anterior chamber fluid, the NfL concentration was substantially increased in patients with glaucoma compared with controls (20.7 (101.3) pg/mL vs 3.1 (2.9) pg/mL; p<0.001). Furthermore, we found a positive correlation of anterior chamber fluid NfL with preoperative intraocular pressure (r=0.39, p=0.003) and with retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (r=0.58, p<0.001).ConclusionNfL levels in anterior chamber fluid are elevated in patients with glaucoma and correlate with intraocular pressure and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness. The presented data strongly support anterior chamber fluid NfL as a new marker for glaucoma.