C-reactive Protein and Lipid Profiles in Korean Patients With Normal Tension Glaucoma

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels and lipid profiles between Korean normal tension glaucoma (NTG) patients and healthy controls. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 38 Korean patients with NTG and 38 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. We excluded the patients with cardiovascular risk factors and other systemic diseases that might affect CRP levels and lipid profiles. Each patient underwent a Humphrey visual field examination and blood sampling for hsCRP and lipid profile analyses. Subsequently, the NTG patients were classified into two groups based on their untreated intraocular pressure (IOP) level low NTG (LNTG) with IOP13 and 0.05) after exclusion of Korean patients with cardiovascular risk factors. There was no significant association between hsCRP and visual field indices (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein-related vascular inflammatory conditions may not be directly associated with the development of NTG, regardless of the untreated IOP level.