Possible pathogenic role of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in glaucoma-like optic neuropathy in patients with intracranial tumours. Reply
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: Editor, We would like to thank Drs Ghaffariyeh and Honarpisheh (2011) for their interest in our study (Qu et al. 2011) and their comments on the potential role a lack of brain-derived growth factor (BDNF) in retinal ganglion cells may play in the pathogenesis of a glaucoma-like optic nerve head appearance in patients with large perisellar tumours. Drs Ghaffariyeh and Honarpisheh postulated that the tumours compressed the optic nerve and thus impeded the retrograde axoplasmic flow of BDNF from the lateral geniculate ganglion to the retinal ganglion cells. Although previous studies by Quigley and others (Quigley et al. 2000) have shown the association between BDNF and glaucoma, as has also been mentioned by Drs Ghaffariyeh and Honarpisheh, it has remained unclear whether that association is specific for glaucoma or whether it is a phenomenon occurring in any optic nerve damage. One may argue that any tumour compressing the optic nerve may lead to a reduced level of BDNF in the retinal ganglion cells, because of the tumour-related blockade of the retrograde axoplasmic flow. It would, however, not explain why specifically large tumours in the perisellar region not only led to a loss of optic nerve fibres (as in any other optic nerve compressive lesion) but additionally to a glaucoma-like cupping of the optic nerve head, typically found in glaucoma. That was the reason why the authors postulated that in patients with large perisellar tumours, a pathomechanism in addition to the direct optic nerve compression may be present. They postulated that a blockade of the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid (Jonas 2010) from the intracranial cavity into the orbit by a blockade of the optic nerve canal may additionally play a role.
Source: Acta Ophthalmologica
Authors: Yuanzhen Qu, Ya X. Wang, Liang Xu, Liwei Zhang, Junting Zhang, Jianguo Zhang, Lina Wang, Liu Yang, Anchao Yang, Jian Wang, Jost B Jonas
Language: English
Subfield: Ophthalmology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2064912822