An enhanced expression of ABC 1 transporter in circulating leukocytes as a potential molecular marker for the diagnostics of glaucoma

摘要

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease.Since vascular dysregulation is supposed to be a risk factor for the development of glaucomatous damage,the preventive treatment might slow down the disease development.The efficiency of the therapeutic treatment depends particularly on a drug efflux pump regulated by ABC transporters.ABC 1 is also known to participate on the vascular regulation.This study was focused on the comparative analysis of ABC 1 expression levels in circulating leukocytes of non-glaucomatous individuals and glaucoma patients.Results and conclusions:The expression rates of ABC 1 were significantly increased in leukocytes of glaucoma patients compared to non-glaucomatous individuals.The expression level of ABC 1 was,furthermore,highly homogeneous in glaucoma patients.In contrast,these expression levels in non-glaucomatous individuals were extremely heterogeneous.This transporter acts as the energy-dependent unidirectional transmembrane cholesterol efflux pump and can export a wide range of hydrophobic drugs.Additionally an observed enhanced ABC 1 expression in circulating leukocytes may be implicated in the vascular regulation mechanisms of glaucoma.We proposed the enhanced expression of ABC 1 in leukocytes as a potential marker for the diagnostics and ex vivo molecular monitoring of glaucoma.