Hyperhomocystinemia in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of hyperhomocystinemia in patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. Patients and Methods: This prospective study included 30 patients with glaucoma and 30 age-matched controls with no history of ocular disease who were undergoing routine physical checkups. Plasma homocysteine levels of all the study participants were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography, and values exceeding 15 μmol/L were considered elevated. Results: The mean plasma homocysteine level was 16.80 ± 3.20 and 12.39 ± 1.97 μmol/L in glaucoma patients and controls, respectively (P<0.0001). Fifteen glaucoma patients (50%) had hyperhomocystinemia compared with 3 controls (10%) (P = 0.0015). Conclusion: Hyperhomocystinemia may be associated with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, which may partially explain the increased risk of vascular diseases among patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome.