PMID: 11923250Mar 30, 2002Paper

Immunohistologic evidence for retinal glial cell changes in human glaucoma

Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
Lin WangBrad Fortune

Abstract

Glial cells are structurally and functionally linked to neuronal tissues. Pathologically, the cells may be activated and characterized by increased size and number and altered cellular properties. In glaucoma, pathologic mechanisms within the anterior optic nerve may include glial activation. This study examines morphologic changes of glial cells in the retinas of glaucomatous eyes compared with age-matched control retinas. Paraffin-processed or flatmounted retinas from 17 human donor eyes [7 normal (donor age, 87.3 +/- 8.3 years) and 10 glaucomatous (donor age, 87.1 +/- 6.9 years)] were examined. With immunohistochemical methods, retinal glial cells were stained with an antibody to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The morphology of the glial cells in normal and glaucomatous retinas was evaluated with fluorescence microscopy. Three types of glial cells were identified in flatmounted retinas with differing distributions in the peripapillary region, the nerve fiber layer (NFL), and along the capillaries. Compared with normal eyes, in glaucomatous retinas the glial cells in the peripapillary region showed an increase in density and exhibited a deformation of the end feet. The astrocytes distributed among the NFL showed litt...Continue Reading

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