Lipid and Apolipoprotein Blood Levels in Patients With Retinal Vein Occlusion

Abstract

Purpose: : Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a common cause of visual loss and several atherothrombotic risk factors such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension have been associated with RVO. Purpose of this study was to investigate the role of blood lipids and apolipoproteins in LDL, VLDL and HDL particles as risk factors for the development of retinal vein occlusion.

Methods: : In this retrospective study we investigated 33 patients with RVO (10 with central retinal vein occlusion and 23 with branch retinal vein occlusion) and 40 age- and gender-matched control subjects. Lipoproteins were separated using an ultracentrifugation-precipitation method (beta-quantification) and the levels of lipids and apolipoproteins in VLDL, LDL and HDL particles were measured.

Results: : After correcting for multiple t-tests and without adjusting for lipid lowering medication, significant differences between both groups were only found in one parameter: HDL phospholipid levels were signifianctly lower in patients with RVO than in the control group (1.24 +/- 0.19 g/L and 1.44 +/- 0.25 g/L, respectively). Concentrations of several lipids and apolipoproteins associated with LDL were lower in the patient group, whereas lipids and apolipoproteins associated with VLDL were higher; however, these differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: : HDL phospholipids might play a role in the development of retinal vein occlusions.

Keywords: vascular occlusion/vascular occlusive disease • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment • lipids