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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mol. Biosci.
Sec. Metabolomics
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1487115
This article is part of the Research Topic Metabolomics in Human and Animal Ophthalmic Research View all 5 articles

Aqueous Humor Metabolomic Profiling Identifies a Distinct Signature in Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome

Provisionally accepted
Arturs Zemitis Arturs Zemitis 1,2*Juris Vanags Juris Vanags 1,2Theresa Schiemer Theresa Schiemer 3,4Kristaps Klavins Kristaps Klavins 3,4Guna Laganovska Guna Laganovska 1,2
  • 1 Riga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
  • 2 Pauls Stradins Clinical university hospital, Riga, Latvia
  • 3 Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
  • 4 Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    PEXS was first described in 1917, yet its etiology still needs clarification. An imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants plays a significant role. PEXS leads to various ocular complications, including increased risk during cataract surgery due to weak zonules, lens dislocation, and reduced visual outcomes. Our study investigates whether metabolomics can provide insights into this ocular pathology.The study included 183 patients undergoing cataract surgery at Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital. 104 patients did not have PEXS, while 79 were diagnosed with the condition. Intraocular fluid samples from these patients were analyzed using targeted metabolite analysis, performed through HILIC liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection.The aqueous humor of PEXS patients contains statistically significant higher levels of cystine (p < 0.001), citrulline (p < 0.001), phenylalanine (p = 0.041), tyrosine (p = 0.025), serine (p = 0.030), arginine (p = 0.017), lactic acid (p = 0.055), tryptophan (p = 0.055), and creatinine (p = 0.022). These results suggest a potential link to ferroptosis.Ferroptosis is a form of programmed cell death characterized by iron-dependent LPO. The inhibition of the antiporter system Xc -leads to increased oxidative stress, suggesting that the changes seen in PEXS could be linked to ferroptosis. Our findings indicate that cysteine synthesis occurs via the transsulfation pathway, attributable to inhibiting the antiporter system Xc -. Treatment of pseudoexfoliation should lower the oxidative stress inside the anterior chamber by reducing the uptake of PUFAs, lower iron levels, and cysteine supplementation.

    Keywords: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome, Cysteine, antiporter system Xc -, Arginine, Tryptophan, Oxidative Stress, Iron

    Received: 27 Aug 2024; Accepted: 23 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zemitis, Vanags, Schiemer, Klavins and Laganovska. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Arturs Zemitis, Riga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.