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The following is a summary of “Evaluating the association between autoimmune disease and normal tension glaucoma: a retrospective case-control study,” published in the February 2025 issue of BMC Ophthalmology by Becerra et al.
Population-based data and proposed mechanisms suggested that autoimmune disease was a potential risk factor for glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the association between normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and intraocular pressure (IOP) -independent mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) injury, including inflammatory and immune-related factors.
They enrolled 277 individuals with NTG and 277 age- and sex-matched controls to evaluate associations between NTG and autoimmune disease diagnosis, treatment, or relevant laboratory markers.
The results showed no significant difference between groups in overall autoimmune disease frequency, classification by mechanism or organ involvement, or specific conditions, including psoriasis (6% vs. 5%), rheumatoid arthritis (5% vs. 4%), inflammatory bowel disease (2% vs. 3%), Sjögren’s syndrome (1% vs. 1%), sarcoidosis (1% vs. 1%), autoimmune thyroiditis (1% vs. 0%), type 1 diabetes (1% vs. 0%), and systemic lupus erythematosus (1% vs. 0%). No significant differences were observed in laboratory values or treatment of identified autoimmune diseases.
Investigators concluded no significant association between autoimmune disease and NTG, suggesting other factors were likely more influential in its development.
Source: bmcophthalmol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12886-025-03893-4
