Postinflammatory and malignant protein patterns in aqueous humour.

Normal aqueous humour and the aqueous humour of patients with cataract is virtually protein-free. Patients having retinoblastoma and non-malignant postinflammatory lesions show significantly high quantities of proteins in the aqueous humour. Retinoblastoma is associated with an increase in the globulin content and an albumin/globulin ratio below unity, while non-malignant postinflammatory intraocular conditions show a rise of the albumin fraction with an albumin/globulin ratio above unity. It seems likely that the leakage of protein into the aqueous is different in the two conditions, and a transcellular route is postulated as being the cause in malignant conditions. The estimation of protein patterns in the aqueous humour may be of value in the diagnosis of intraocular malignancy.