Association of serum uric acid levels with primary open-angle glaucoma: a 5-year case-control study

It has been hypothesised that uric acid (UA) has a protective effect against oxidative damage in the central nervous system. Therefore, we investigated serum UA concentrations in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and explored the relationship between serum UA concentration and glaucoma severity.

This prospective, cross-sectional, case-control study was conducted in 163 POAG patients and 103 normal controls. Clinical and demographic information was obtained from the medical data platform of the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. The POAG patients were categorised into mild [median deviation (MD) ≤ 6.00 dB], moderate (MD > 6 Db-≥12 dB) and severe (MD > 12 dB) subgroups, based on their visual field MD results.

The level of serum UA in the POAG group (0.321 ± 0.084 mmol/l) was approximately 12.77% lower (p < 0.001) than that of the control group (0.362 ± 0.053 mmol/l). The UA/creatinine (Cr) ratio was approximately 14.99% lower (p < 0.001) in patients with POAG (4.47 ± 1.15), compared with the control group (5.14 ± 1.05). The mean level of UA was lowest in the severe POAG group, followed by the moderate POAG group, and the mild POAG group (p < 0.001). A similar trend was observed when UA levels were compared between the POAG and control groups in males. Multivariate regression analyses showed a significant negative correlation between UA and vertical cup-disc ratio (B = -0.320, p = 0.034), and UA and MD (B = -0.441, p = 0.031) in males.

Primary open-angle glaucoma patients have lower UA levels; however, a negative association between UA levels and disease severity was evident in male patients.