Lupus anticoagulants/anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with normal tension glaucoma

Ocular vascular occlusive disease resulting in severe retinopathy and/or post-thrombotic glaucoma has been extensively discussed in patients with lupus anticoagulant and/or anticardiolipin antibodies (LA/aCL). Inadequate circulation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of another ophthalmic entity--the normal tension glaucoma. We studied 22 patients with normal tension glaucoma (group I) and 23 with chronic open-angle glaucoma (group II) and compared them with a control group (n = 25, group III). LA, aCL, the aCL cofactor beta 2-Glycoprotein I, and other haemostatic parameters including factor VIII:C, von Willebrand factor, factors II, V, VII and plasminogen activator inhibitor were measured. Five out of 22 (22.7%) in group I, five out of 23 (21.7%) in group II and three out of 25 (12.0%) in group III had positive LA and/or aCL. These prevalences were not statistically significantly different. beta 2-Glycoprotein I was normal in all groups. No other parameters were significantly different between groups. These findings do not support the contribution of ocular microvascular occlusive disease, due to elevated aCL, in the pathogenesis of glaucomatous damage.