Background
Starting
point of this hypothesis holding the primary open-angle-glaucoma to be a
neurodegenerative disease is the fact that the precursor beta-amyloid protein
(playing among others also a major role in the Alzheimer’s disease) appears in
retinal ganglion cells. Since the beta-amyloid toxicity counts as one of the
most important factors to trigger the neuronal apoptosis, beyond glutamate
toxicity and traumata, one could legitimately hold this to be the main cause of
apoptosis in primary open angle
glaucoma.
This
supposition seems to be reinforced by the identification of beta amyloid
plaques in several glaucoma cases in the subcortical optical centre.
Conclusion
The
proposed apoptosis mechanism, induced by the beta-amyloid toxicity, offers a
simple theoretic model for the elucidation of a number of aspects of the
primary open-angle-glaucoma.
Key
words
Alzheimer’s
disease, apoptosis, beta-amyloid, neuronal degeneration, opticus atrophy,
primary open angle glaucoma, retina.