Systemic reduction in glutathione levels occurs in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose: To assess the level of plasma glutathione in patients with untreated primary open-angle glaucoma.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with newly diagnosed primary open-angle glaucoma and 34 age- and gender-matched control subjects were subjected to a blood analysis to detect the level of circulating glutathione in its reduced and oxidized forms. The effect of age, gender, and systemic blood pressure on circulating glutathione levels was also analyzed.