• Figen Narin, Nazmi Narin, Canan Halici, Ayse Ozturk Oner, Hakki Dogan, and Musa Karakukcu.
• Department of Biochemistry, Erciyes University Medical Faculty, PK, Kayseri, Turkey. fnarin@erciyes.edu.tr
• Ann Saudi Med. 2004 May 1; 24 (3): 186188186-8.

BackgroundPrevious studies have documented that elevated plasma homocysteine is a risk factor for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular disease. In a case-control study, we sought to determine whether elevated homocysteine (HCY) is a risk factor for retinal artery occlusive disease PATIENTS AND METHODS. Study subjects consisted of 20 patients (12 male, 8 female) (mean age, 55.8; range 42-70 years) with clinical and objective evidence of retinal vascular occlusive disease and 20 age-matched control subjects (9 males, 11 females) (mean age, 55.3 years; range 50-68 years). Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as a plasma HCY level >15 micromol/L by HPLC. We also measured concentrations of triglycerides, and total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol.ResultsThe mean plasma HCY level in the patient group was 21.23+/-9.53 micromol/L (range, 8.00-43.99 micromol/L) compared with 12.59+/-4.97 micromol/L (range, 6.38 to 22.88 micromol/L) in the control group (P<0.008). There was no correlation between HCY and serum triglycerides or cholesterol levels within each group. We conclude that high plasma HCY level may be a risk factor for retinal artery occlusive disease.

15 keywords...

hide…