Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade, cryogenically preserved aqueous humor (AH) samples with matched K3-EDTA plasma, and PBMC samples from glaucoma patients.
The sera (serum), PBMC and K3-EDTA plasma specimens are processed from glaucoma patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.
Glaucoma Overview
Glaucoma is a disease in which fluid pressure rises within the eye. The exact cause is unknown. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to vision loss.
This condition is relatively common. It is most likely to affect white patients after the age of 60 and Black and Hispanic patients after the age of 40.
Glaucoma is a condition that damages the eye’s optic nerve, and it gets worse over time. It’s often linked to a buildup of pressure (intraocular pressure) inside the eye. The tends to run in families.
The symptoms of the most common type, open-angle glaucoma, start slowly and are hard to notice. However, an ophthalmologist may detect changes during an eye test.
There is no cure for glaucoma, but treatment can slow or stop its progression.
Glaucoma refers to a buildup of pressure within the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve.
The front part of the eye contains a clear fluid, the aqueous humor. This fluid nourishes the eye and gives it its shape. The eye constantly produces this fluid and drains it away through a drainage system.
If a person has glaucoma, the fluid drains too slowly out of the eye. When this happens, fluid builds up, and pressure inside the eye rises.
If a person does not manage this pressure, it may damage the optic nerve and other parts of the eye, leading to vision loss.
Glaucoma usually affects both eyes, although it may affect one eye more severely than the other.
Causes of Glaucoma
Glaucoma develops when the optic nerve becomes damaged. As this nerve gradually deteriorates, blind spots develop in your vision. For reasons that doctors don’t fully understand, this nerve damage is usually related to increased pressure in the eye.
Elevated eye pressure happens as the result of a buildup of fluid that flows throughout the inside of the eye. This fluid also is known as the aqueous humor. It usually drains through a tissue located at the angle where the iris and cornea meet.
This tissue also is called the trabecular meshwork. The cornea is important to vision because it lets light into the eye. When the eye makes too much fluid or the drainage system doesn’t work properly, eye pressure may increase.
The fluid inside your eye, called aqueous humor, usually flows out of your eye through a mesh-like channel. If this channel gets blocked or the eye is producing too much fluid, the liquid builds up. Sometimes, experts don’t know what causes this blockage, but it can be inherited, meaning it’s passed from parents to children.
Less-common causes of glaucoma include a blunt or chemical injury to your eye, severe eye infection, blocked inside your eye, and inflammatory conditions. It’s rare, but eye surgery to correct another condition can sometimes bring it on. It usually affects both eyes, but it may be worse in one than the other.
If a patient has primary glaucoma, there is no identifiable cause. If they have secondary glaucoma there is an underlying cause, such as a tumor, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, an advanced cataracts, or inflammation.
Risk Factors of Glaucoma
Glaucoma mostly affects adults older than 40 years, but young adults, children, and even infants can have it. African American people tend to get it more often, when they’re younger, and with more vision loss.
Risk factors for glaucoma include the following:
- A family history of glaucoma
- Black and Hispanic people, being over 40 years old
- Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, migraines, and sickle cell anemia
- Diabetic patients or having another underlying health condition
- Extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness
- Eye injury or condition
- Genetic factors, which can lead to childhood glaucoma
- High blood pressure (Hypertension)
- Previous eye surgery
- Severe myopia (nearsightedness)
- Taking corticosteroid medication, especially as eye drops
- White people, being over 60 years old
Types of Glaucoma
There are several types of Glaucoma, following are the two main types:
- Open-angle glaucoma: This is the most common type. Your doctor may also call it wide-angle glaucoma. The drain structure in your eye (called the trabecular meshwork) looks fine, but fluid doesn’t flow out like it should.
- Angle-closure glaucoma: This is more common in Asia. It is also called acute or chronic angle-closure or narrow-angle glaucoma. Your eye doesn’t drain like it should because the drain space between your iris and cornea becomes too narrow. This can cause a sudden buildup of pressure in the eye. It’s also linked to farsightedness and cataracts, or a clouding of the lens inside your eye.
Less common types of glaucoma include the following:
- Secondary glaucoma. This is when another condition, such as cataracts or diabetes, causes added pressure in your eye. Inflammation inside your eye (your doctor will call this uveitis) can cause you to see halos. Bright lights might bother your eyes (you’ll hear your doctor call this light sensitivity or photophobia).
- Normal-tension glaucoma. This is when you have blind spots in your vision or your optic nerve is damaged although your eye pressure is within the average range. Some experts say it’s a form of open-angle glaucoma.
- Pigmentary glaucoma. With this form, tiny bits of pigment from your iris (the colored part of your eye) get into the fluid inside your eye and clog the drainage canals.
- Childhood glaucoma: In rare cases, glaucoma can affect children due to genetic factors. The child may have:
- Cloudiness in the cornea
- Excessing tearing
- Sensitivity to light
- Unusually large eyes
Medication and surgery can help prevent vision loss.
Signs and Symptoms of Glaucoma
The symptoms of the two most common types of glaucoma are different.
Open-Angle Glaucoma
Symptoms develop slowly, and a person may not notice them until the later stages.
They include:
- Gradual loss of peripheral vision, usually in both eyes
- Tunnel vision
Closed-Angle Glaucoma
The symptoms of acute glaucoma appear suddenly and include:
- Blurred vision
- Eye pain, usually severe
- Nausea and possibly vomiting
- Red eyes
- Seeing halo-like glows around lights
- Sudden, unexpected vision problems, especially in poor lighting
Normal-tension glaucoma
- No symptoms in early stages
- Gradually, blurred vision
- In later stages, loss of side vision
Glaucoma in children
- A dull or cloudy eye (infants)
- Increased blinking (infants)
- Tears without crying (infants)
- Blurred vision
- Nearsightedness that gets worse
- Headache
Pigmentary glaucoma
- Halos around lights
- Blurred vision with exercise
- Gradual loss of side vision
Diagnosis of Glaucoma
Glaucoma tests are painless and don’t take long. Your eye doctor will test your vision. They’ll use drops to widen (dilate) your pupils and examine your eyes.
They’ll check your optic nerve for signs of glaucoma. They may take photographs so they can spot changes at your next visit. They’ll do a test called tonometry to check your eye pressure. They may also do a visual field test to see if you’ve lost peripheral vision.
If your doctor suspects glaucoma, they may order special imaging tests of your optic nerve. Ophthalmologists regularly check for glaucoma as part of a routine eye test. They can use several diagnostic tests:
Gonioscopy
Gonioscopy is used to examine the angle where the iris and cornea meet.
Opthalmoscopy
The eye doctor puts drops into the eye to widen the pupil, then examines the inside of the eye using a special light and magnifying glass.
Perimetry
The doctor carries out a visual field test to check the person’s peripheral (side) vision. The person looks straight ahead while the doctor presents a light spot in different places around the edge of their vision. This helps create a map of what the person can see.
Slit-Lamp Exam
Slit-lamp exam is used to examine the inside of the eye with a special microscope called a slit lamp.
Tonometry
After using eye drops to numb the eye, the doctor measures the pressure in the eye with a device that either touches the cornea (applanation) or uses a puff of air.
Gonioscopy
The doctor uses eye drops to numb the eyes, then places a type of contact lens on the eye. The lens has a mirror that that can show if the angle between the iris and the cornea is normal, too wide (open), or too narrow (closed).
Pachymetry
The doctor places a probe on the front of the eye to measure the thickness of the cornea. The doctor will take this into account when they assess all the results, as corneal thickness can affect eye pressure readings.
Treatment of Glaucoma
Untreated glaucoma can lead to the faster development of permanent vision loss or blindness. Treatments can slow down additional vision loss, but they can’t restore lost vision.
Medications to Treat Glaucoma
Many types of prescription eye drops can treat glaucoma. Some decrease fluids and increase drainage to improve eye pressure. Because glaucoma is a lifelong condition, you may need to use daily eye drops for life. You may have to apply them more than once a day.
Eye Drops
Most glaucoma patients will use eye drops as initial treatment. These either reduce the amount of fluid the eye makes or improve drainage.
It is essential to follow a healthcare professional’s instructions carefully for the best results and to prevent adverse effects.
Examples of eye drops include:
- Beta blockers
- Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
- Cholinergic agents
- Nitric oxide releasers
- Prostaglandins
- Rho kinase inhibitors
Adverse effects can include:
- Change in eye color or skin around the eye
- Dry mouth
- Headaches
- Occasionally, retinal detachments or difficulty breathing
- Redness
- Stinging
If the adverse effects persist, the doctor may change the dose or recommend a different option.
Surgery
If drugs do not help, or if the patient cannot tolerate them, a doctor may recommend surgery.
Surgery usually aims to reduce the pressure inside the eye. Possible interventions include:
- Drainage implant: This may help if glaucoma occurs in children or as a result of another health condition. The surgeon inserts a small silicone tube into the eye to improve drainage.
- Filtering surgery: If laser surgery does not help, the surgeon may open channels in the eye to improve fluid drainage.
- Trabeculoplasty: The surgeon uses a laser beam to unblock clogged drainage canals, making it easier for fluid to drain out.
Treating Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma
Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency.
A doctor will give pressure-reducing medications immediately.
They may use a laser procedure to create a tiny hole in the iris, allowing fluids to pass into the eye’s drainage system. This procedure is called an iridotomy.
Even if glaucoma only affects one eye, the doctor may treat both, because there is a risk that it might occur in the other eye, too.
Prevention of Glaucoma
There is no known way to prevent glaucoma, but early diagnosis and treatment can improve the chance of preventing vision loss.
It is essential to have regular eye checks because this is the only way to detect glaucoma in the early stages. The Glaucoma Foundation recommend having a baseline test at the age of 40. The doctor will use the results to detect future changes.
A doctor can advise an individual on how often they should have an eye test, depending on their risk level.
Following steps may help protect your vision:
- Have regular eye exams: The sooner your doctor spots the signs of glaucoma, the sooner you can start treatment. All adults need to be checked for glaucoma every 3 to 5 years.If you’re older than 40 years and have a family history of the disease, get a complete eye exam from an eye doctor every 1 to 2 years. If you have health problems such as diabetes or are at risk for other eye diseases, you may need to go more often.
- Learn your family history: Ask your relatives whether any of them have been diagnosed with glaucoma.
- Follow your doctor’s instructions: If they find that you have high eye pressure, they might give you drops to prevent glaucoma.
- Exercise: Do moderate activity such as walking or jogging at least three times a week.
- Protect your eyes: Use protective eyewear when playing sports or working on home improvement projects.
Tips for Living With Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a lifelong condition and needs continual follow-up with your eye doctor. There are other things you can do to help keep your eyes healthy.
- Dark, leafy greens
- Fish that’s packed with omega-3 fatty acids
Elevate your Head: Use a wedge pillow when you sleep. It’ll keep your head raised just a little. That should help lower your eye pressure.
Drink Fluids Slowly: Don’t cut back on how much you drink, but spread out your beverages through the day. If you drink a lot at once, it can strain your eyes. Don’t have more than a quart at one time. Instead, sip small amounts.
Don’t Rub: Glaucoma and the medicine you take might make your eyes feel itchy. But fight the urge. You can scratch them and make things worse. Ask your doctor if you can use drops to treat dryness.
Drive Safely: Most people with glaucoma can still drive as long as they pass their state’s vision test. Simply put, your ability to drive will depend on how much vision has been lost. Some people with advanced glaucoma can get their license renewed with restrictions. Ask your doctor about whether driving will be a concern for you.
Be Careful with Yoga: You may need to reconsider some yoga positions. Some head-down moves that put your heart above your eye can increase your eye pressure. Research hasn’t shown that it makes glaucoma worse, but it’s not a good idea to do yoga positions that increase eye pressure. You may want to avoid poses such as:
- Downward-facing dog
- Standing forward bend
- Plow
- Legs up the wall
Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.
Samples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.
Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.
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Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.
Including fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.
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- Peripheral whole-blood
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- Sputum
- Pleural effusion
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- Saliva
- Buffy coat
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- Vitreous humor
- Kidney stones (renal calculi)
- Other bodily fluids from most diseases including cancer.
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