Is the primary open-angle-glaucoma a neurodegenerative disease?
Background Starting point of this hypothesis holding the primary open-angle-glaucoma to be a neurodegenerative disease is the fact that the precursor beta-amyloid protein (playing among others also a major role in the Alzheimers disease) appears in retinal ganglion cells. Since the beta-amyloid toxicity counts as one of the most important factors to trigger the neuronal apoptosis, beyond glutamate toxicity and traumata, one could legitimately hold this to be the main cause of apoptosis in primary open angle glaucoma. This supposition seems to be reinforced by the identification of beta amyloid plaques in several glaucoma cases in the subcortical optical centre. Conclusion The proposed apoptosis mechanism, induced by the beta-amyloid toxicity, offers a simple theoretic model for the elucidation of a number of aspects of the primary open-angle-glaucoma. Key words Alzheimers disease, apoptosis, beta-amyloid, neuronal degeneration, opticus atrophy, primary open angle glaucoma, retina.
