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Studying biological, environmental risk factors 'next step' in determining genetic role in pseudoexfoliation risk
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SAN FRANCISCO — More research is needed to determine the impact that genetics and other risk factors have on the progression of pseudoexfoliation syndrome, a clinician said here.
"So what are the next steps that we have to do in looking at how a patient progresses from early disease to end stage disease?" Sayoko E. Moroi, MD, PhD, asked at the Glaucoma Subspecialty Day prior to the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. "We have to look at all these biological risk factors ... [and] the environmental risks [are] something clearly we're just beginning to begin to understand in glaucoma."
Biological risk factors that should be further studied are aging, oxidative stress, ocular manifestations versus systemic manifestations and individual genetic risk alles, Dr. Moroi said.
Environmental risk factors that could impact disease progression and treatment response include smoking, diet, medications and infections, she said.
It is largely unknown why some patients with pseudoexfoliation have an indolent course and why others have an aggressive disease. Dr. Moroi has identified several areas to pursue. Current techniques in molecular biology, genetics and epidemiology have become powerful enough for us to begin to uncover the relative contributions of some of these potential risk factors.
– Douglas J. Rhee, MD
OSN Glaucoma Board
Member