Structure and Function Relationship of Activated Retinal Glia in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients

Purpose. to evaluate clinically activated retinal astrocytes and müller cells (aram) regarding retinal sensitivity and retinal nerve fiber layer (rnfl) thickness in primary open-angle glaucoma (poag). methods. central visual field (vf; i.e.,retinal sensitivity) was measured with a custom-made macular pattern by microperimetry and correlated with the presence (aram+) or absence (aram+) of aram on red-free fundus photography and with the corresponding rnfl by optical coherence tomography (oct). results. in the eyes of poag patients,aram+ had overall a significantly lower retinal sensitivity (aram+: 7.34 db,aram+: 11.9 db; p<0.001) and lower rnfl thickness in the inferior peripapillary quadrants compared to aram+ (rnfl superior: aram+ 74.2 μm,aram+ 77.5 μm; rnfl temporal: aram+ 46.8 μm,aram+ 53.0 μm,p<0.001; and rnfl inferior: aram+ 63.2 μm,aram+ 73.1 μm,p<0.001). within the same eye,aram+ showed a lower retinal sensitivity compared to aram+ ([aram+ (11.13 db)] + [aram+ (9.56 db) = 1.57 db; p=0.25). the proportion of aram+ per eye correlated strongly with reduced retinal light sensitivity (p=0.02),corresponding lower peripapillary rnfl thickness (p=0.02),and lower rnfl temporal quadrant thickness (p<0.01),but not with greater age (p=0.45). conclusion. aram was more frequently identified in the eyes with a lower retinal sensitivity and peripapillary rnfl thickness and may be a clinical sign in the macula for an advanced stage of poag. © 2017 christoph nützi et al.