Quantitative analysis of SOD2, ALDH1A1 and MGST1 messenger ribonucleic acid in anterior lens epithelium of patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome

PURPOSE The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of selected genes encoding enzymes involved in the antioxidant defense system (superoxide dismutase 2, SOD2; aldehyde dehydrogenase 1, ALDH1A1; microsomal glutathione S-transferase 1, MGST1) in fragments of anterior lens capsules of patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX). The specificity and sensitivity of these molecular markers for PEX development were also assessed. METHODS The study group consisted of 20 patients (9 women and 11 men) with diagnosed PEX and cataract. The control group included 23 patients (8 women and 15 men) who needed cataract surgery but did not have PEX. Quantification of SOD2, ALDH1A1, and MGST1 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was performed with quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS SOD2, ALDH1A1, and MGST1 mRNAs were detected in all studied samples. The examined genes had statistically significant higher expression in the group of patients with PEX than in the control group (SOD2, p=0.0015; ALDH1A1, p=0.0001; MGST1, p=0.0001, Mann-Whitney U test). The areas under the curve (AUC) of SOD2, MGST1, and ALDH1A1 were 0.766, 0.818, and 0.957, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Differential expression of SOD2, ALDH1A1, and MGST1 genes in the anterior lens capsules of patients with PEX suggest that diseased tissue appears to respond to the previously reported oxidative stress. A possible role of ALDH1A1 mRNA level as a risk factor or marker for PEX needs further confirmation.