Abstract
Purpose:
Uric acid UA, bilirubin and albumin are endogenous antioxidants. Previous studies have reported that their concentrations were reduced in patients with multiple Sclerosis(MS) and neuromyelitis optica NMO . The pathophysiology of optic neuritis ON resembles that of MS; however, the role of endogenous UA, bilirubin and albumin in ON are still unclear. The aim of this study is to analyze antioxidant levels of serum UA, bilirubin and albumin in patients with ON, and compare the antioxidant levels of ON with MS and NMO.
Methods:
Serum levels of UA, bilirubin and albumin were measured in 42 patients with ON, 50 patients with MS, 48 patients with NMO and 48 healthy control subjects.
Results:
Serum levels of UA, billirubin and albumin in patients with ON were significantly lower than those in healthy control group. No statistical significance was found among ON, MS and NMO groups. The same results were still observed when the effect of gender was eliminated. Moreover, serum levels of UA, billirubin and albumin in patients with ON were lower in those with recurrence or longer duration (≥1 year). Their concentrations were lower in patients with papillitis than in those with retrobulbar type ON, but the differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
Reduced serum UA, bilirubin and albumin levels are found in patients with ON, and low antioxidant status may exist in those patients. Since ON is often the first clinical demyelinating event of MS or NMO, our results may indicate that low antioxidant status already existed in MS or NMO
Keywords: 629 optic nerve •
613 neuro-ophthalmology: optic nerve