The activity of superoxide dismutase in the aqueous humour of the patients with senile cataract

Cataract is a dysfunction of the lens of the eye caused by clouding. By far the most common type of cataract is the senile cataract. The immediate cause of the occurrence of cataract is unknown, but oxidative stress is considered important in its etiopathogenesis. The aim: to examine the intensity of oxidative stress, depending on the type and maturity of senile cataract, through the activity of the superoxide dismutase enzyme (SOD) in the aqueous humor of the patients diagnosed with senile cataract. The average activity of the superoxide dismutase enzyme in the aqueous humor of the patients with early nuclear cataract was 41.16 U/mL, which is a significantly higher value (p<0.01) when compared with that of the patients with other types of early cataract, as well as with that of the patients with total cataract (33.88 U/mL). With aging the activity of the superoxide dismutase enzyme decreases, hence the average activity of the enzyme was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the group of patients over 75 years of age (36.28 U/mL vs. 28.91 U/mL).