Study of lens autofluorescence by fluorophotometry in pregnancy

Lens autofluorescence originates from an accumulation of fluorescent substances such as the tryptophan-derived residues and protein aggregations, which are associated with the preclinical progress of cataractogenesis, diabetes and lens aging. Our purpose is to determine if pregnancy alters the typical constituents of the lens autofluorescence. Fifteen healthy pregnant women (22 eyes) who were in their third trimester of pregnancy and 23 age-matched healthy controls (37 eyes, non-pregnant females). Lens autofluorescence, lens transmission and corneal autofluorescence were studied with fluorophotometry. The lens autofluorescence values were 358±151 ng ml−1 in the control group and 201±110 ng ml−1 in the pregnants women. The difference was significant (p=0.0074). Lens transmission values were 0.93±0.02 ng ml−1 in the control group and 0.94±0.02 ng ml−1 in the pregnants women: the difference was not significant. Corneal autofluorescence values were 21.9±7.5 ng ml−1 in the control group and 18.2±5.8 ng ml−1 in the pregnant women. The difference was not significant. Our study showed a significant decrease in lens autofluorescence in pregnant women compared to a normal population. The decrease can be partly attributed to the aqueous component of the lens that increases significantly during the final trimester of pregnancy and that this provokes a dilution of the fluorescent substances.