| Past Issue | Volume 6, Number 2, 2004 | | Vitamin C Concentration of Aqueous Humour and Plasma in Patients with Senile Cataract |
SAM Miratashi, MR Besharati, MR Manaviat, A Rastegar, MR Shoja
Department of Ophthalmology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Aims: Senile cataract is one of the most important preventive causes of blindness in the world. Oxidative agents such as ultraviolet light are one of the important causes of cataract. Vitamin C is an important watersoluble antioxidant agent in the aqueous humour.
Patients and Methods: In a descriptive, cross-sectional study, 85 patients who were admitted to Rah-Ahan Eye Hospital, Iran, for cataract surgery were evaluated. With patients under general anaesthesia, 0.2 mL of aqueous from the anterior chamber and 5 mL of peripheral blood were taken prior to the operation. The concentration of vitamin C in these samples was measured.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 64.3 ± 1.2 years. Forty one patients were men and 44 were women. The mean concentration of vitamin C was 4.29 ± 0.12 mg/dL (mean ± standard error) in the aqueous and 0.77 ± 0.04 mg/dL in the plasma. Vitamin C concentrations in aqueous were similar in both sexes, but vitamin C concentrations in plasma of women were higher than those in plasma of men (p = 0.043). The concentration of vitamin C was not related to the type of cataract or patients' employment.
Conclusions: Because vitamin C concentrations of aqueous and plasma in senile cataract are lower than normal, it is recommended that patients who are at risk for senile cataract consume fresh vegetables and fruits or other forms of vitamin supplements.
Key Words: Filtering surgery, Glaucoma, Mitomycin C
Asian J Ophthalmol 2004;6(2):2-5.
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