URIC ACID AND GLAUCOMA

Uric acid (UA) is a purine metabolite present intracellularly and in all body fluids. Usually high UA levels have been associated with gout and kidney stones.

However, UA has both pro-oxidant and antioxidant features in-vitro by production and scavenging of reactive oxygen species. 

The beneficial impacts of UA have been shown in certain neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, the role of UA in the underlying mechanism of glaucoma is still unclear.

A meta-analysis was performed by Mohammadi et al, to identify case-control studies comparing the serum UA concentrations of the patients with glaucoma and controls. The mean ± standard division difference was used to assess the difference in serum UA concentrations between the glaucoma patients and controls.

The meta-analysis involved 6 studies involving 1,221 glaucoma patients and 1,342 in the control group.

The pooled analysis included all six studies, showing that serum UA level was higher in glaucoma patients than in other patients without glaucoma. In detail, the meta-analysis using a random effect model indicates that the mean UA level in glaucoma patients was 0.13 (I2 = 91.92%, 95% CI = −0.42 to 0.68) higher than the controls; however, it was not statistically significant.

Three out of six case-control studies within this meta-analysis found a significant inverse association. In comparison, three other studies have reported a positive association between high UA levels and glaucoma.

These findings provide evidence that glaucoma patients have a higher serum UA level compared to the controls, but this difference is not statistically significant. Prospective studies are needed to determine the possible association between increased UA and glaucoma pathogenesis.

REFERENCE:

Mohammadi M, Yarmohammadi A, Salehi-Abargouei A, Ghasemirad H, Shirvani M, Ghoshouni H. Uric acid and glaucoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Jul 28;10:1159316. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1159316. PMID: 37575992; PMCID: PMC10422028.