Increased expression of the WNT antagonist sFRP-1 in glaucoma elevates intraocular pressure.

Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the principal risk factor for glaucoma and results from excessive impedance of the fluid outflow from the eye. This abnormality likely originates from outflow pathway tissues such as the trabecular meshwork (TM), but the associated molecular etiology is poorly understood. We discovered what we believe to be a novel role for secreted frizzled-related protein-1 (sFRP-1), an antagonist of Wnt signaling, in regulating IOP.

Increased expression of serum amyloid A in glaucoma and its effect on intraocular pressure.

Purpose: To search for and validate potential molecular pathogenic mechanisms in the trabecular meshwork (TM) responsible for the elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) associated with glaucoma.

Methods: Gene chip arrays were used to identify differential gene expression in glaucomatous TM tissues. Serum amyloid A (SAA) upregulation was subsequently confirmed with quantitative PCR (QPCR) and ELISA.