Probability of the presence of glycosaminoglycans in aqueous humor.

The crossed immunoelectrophoretic pattern of 62 eyes was reexamined, and 6 cases were selected for their abnormal patterns that demonstrated the presence of glycosaminoglycans in aqueous humor. Three of these cases were exfoliation syndrome, one was pigment liberation syndrome, and the other two were rhegmatogeneous retinal detachment. The abnormal electrophoretic patterns showed peculiar tailing and a biphasic pattern in albumin. Similar patterns could be reproduced in vitro by adding chondroitin sulfate to normal aqueous humor. Abnormal overproduction of glycosaminoglycans in exfoliation syndrome was indicated. Similar tailing of albumin was also noticed in 2 of 3 cases of rhegmatogeneous retinal detachment. It is supposed that the glycosaminoglycans produced by visual cells pass through the retinal break and vitreous cavity on the way to the anterior chamber. The Schwartz syndrome may be explained by this mechanism.