The objective of this project is to develop a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for 5Beta-dihydrocortisol, a metabolite which accumulates in cells cultured from trabeculectomy specimens from patients with primary open angel glaucoma (POAG) but not found in cells cultured from nonPOAG patients. The radioimmunoassay will be used to measure 5Beta-dihydrocortisol in aqueous humor, tears, saliva and serum. The presence of this metabolite would be further confirmation of our hypothesis of the etiologic role of 5Beta-dihydrocortisol in POAG and provide a marker for those patients at risk for the disease.
