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

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 IOP≤13 mmHg (13 subjects) and high NTG (HNTG) with relatively high IOP (>13 and ≤21 mmHg, 25 subjects). The hsCRP levels and lipid profiles were compared between NTG patients and healthy controls, and between LNTG, HNTG, and healthy controls. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in hsCRP and lipid profiles between either the NTG patients and healthy controls, or between the LNTG, HNTG, and controls (p>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.