Bayram Gulpamuk1, Mustafa Koç1, Mustafa Salih Karatepe1, Aydan Yildiz2, Ozcan Erel3, Salim Neselioglu3, Pelin Yilmazbas4. 1. a Department of Opthalmology , Ankara Ulucanlar Eye Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey. 2. b Clinical Microbiology Department , Ankara Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey. 3. c Biochemistry Department , Ankara Ataturk Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey. 4. d Ophthalmology Department , Ulucanlar Eye Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate systemic oxidative stress by evaluating thiol-disulfide homeostasis using a novel automated homeostasis assay in keratoconus patients. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with keratoconus and 30 control subjects of a similar age and gender were enrolled in the present study. The native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels and the disulfide-native thiol, disulfide-total thiol, and native thiol-total thiol ratios were analyzed and compared between the keratoconus and control groups using a novel automatized spectrophotometric assay. RESULTS: The median serum native thiol value was 441.5 (362.6-488.1) in the keratoconus group and 467.8 (401.8-564.6) in the control subjects. The median serum total thiol value was 467.9 (375-580.6) in the keratoconus group and 503.3 (437.7-578.5) in the control subjects. The median serum disulfide value was 20.1 (6.2-46.3) in the keratoconus patients and 16.7 (1.1-20.8) in the controls. There were significant differences between the native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels of the keratoconus patients and controls (p = 0.001, p = 0.04, and p = 0.03, respectively) and the disulfide-native thiol, disulfide-total thiol, and native thiol-total thiol ratios of these two groups (p = 0.02, p = 0.01, and p = 0.001, respectively). We found no significant correlation between age and any of the thiol-disulfide parameters (p > 0.05 for all values). CONCLUSIONS: There is an imbalance in the systemic thiol-disulfide homeostasis in KC patients. This metabolic imbalance may play an important role in the pathogenesis of keratoconus; thus, it can be discussed in terms of the prevention, diagnosis, and the possible treatment for keratoconus.
PURPOSE: To investigate systemic oxidative stress by evaluating thiol-disulfide homeostasis using a novel automated homeostasis assay in keratoconus patients. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with keratoconus and 30 control subjects of a similar age and gender were enrolled in the present study. The native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels and the disulfide-native thiol, disulfide-total thiol, and native thiol-total thiol ratios were analyzed and compared between the keratoconus and control groups using a novel automatized spectrophotometric assay. RESULTS: The median serum native thiol value was 441.5 (362.6-488.1) in the keratoconus group and 467.8 (401.8-564.6) in the control subjects. The median serum total thiol value was 467.9 (375-580.6) in the keratoconus group and 503.3 (437.7-578.5) in the control subjects. The median serum disulfide value was 20.1 (6.2-46.3) in the keratoconus patients and 16.7 (1.1-20.8) in the controls. There were significant differences between the native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels of the keratoconus patients and controls (p = 0.001, p = 0.04, and p = 0.03, respectively) and the disulfide-native thiol, disulfide-total thiol, and native thiol-total thiol ratios of these two groups (p = 0.02, p = 0.01, and p = 0.001, respectively). We found no significant correlation between age and any of the thiol-disulfide parameters (p > 0.05 for all values). CONCLUSIONS: There is an imbalance in the systemic thiol-disulfide homeostasis in KC patients. This metabolic imbalance may play an important role in the pathogenesis of keratoconus; thus, it can be discussed in terms of the prevention, diagnosis, and the possible treatment for keratoconus.
Entities:
Keywords:
Keratoconus; native thiol; oxidative stress thiol–disulfide homeostasis; total thiol