Aqueous humor ascorbate concentration and open-angle glaucoma.

The mean value for aqueous concentration in 35 patients with open-angle glaucoma was 22.4 +/- 12.9 mg/100 ml. The mean value for aqueous ascorbate in four patients with uncomplicated senile cataract was 11.55 +/- 3.01 mg/100 ml. The results indicate that the majority of open-angle glaucomatous eyes do not involve a deficiency of ascorbate, and suggest that ascorbate has no therapeutic value in the management of primary open-angle glaucoma. The magnitude of aqueous ascorbate variation among glaucoma eyes is probably related to the factors that influence the patency of trabecular meshwork, not the metabolic activity of the ciliary processes.