Clusterin and Complement Activation in Exfoliation Glaucoma

Abstract

The data provide compelling evidence for the activation of the complement system in XFS, highlighting the generation of subproducts with potent proinflammatory activity, which are capable of triggering and chronically maintaining levels of subclinical inflammation, suggesting novel targets for therapeutic intervention. The colocalization of clusterin in exfoliation fibrils suggests a failed attempt to prevent tissue accumulation of protein aggregates, as seen in other protein folding disorders, likely due to the abnormal high levels of misfolded proteins overwhelming its chaperone capacity.