Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Ocular Arterial and Venous Occlusive Disease

Vol. 221, No. 1, 2007

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Original Paper

Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Ocular Arterial and Venous Occlusive Disease
Anja M. Palmowski-Wolfe^a, Elke Denninger^b, Jürgen Geisel^c, Gerhard Pindur^d, Klaus W. Ruprecht^b

^aEye Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland;
^bEye Hospital,
^cInstitute of Laboratory Medicine, and
^dInstitute of Haemostaseology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany

Address of Corresponding Author

Ophthalmologica 2007;221:41-46 (DOI: 10.1159/000096521)

Key Words

Antiphospholipid antibodies
Lupus anticoagulants
Anticardiolipin antibodies
Retinal artery occlusion
Retinal vein occlusion
Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
Posterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Abstract

Purpose: It was the aim of this study to evaluate antiphospholipid antibodies (APA), i.e. lupus anticoagulants (LA) and anticardiolipin (ACA) IgG and IgM, in ophthalmic occlusive disease. Methods: Over a 3.5-year period, APA were evaluated in 368 patients. Results: Eighty-six patients (23.4%), compared to 5% in the general population, tested positive for APA. APA did not differ significantly between patients with venous (20.6%) or arterial (25.5%) occlusive disease. This included 93 patients with central retinal vein occlusion (18% APA positive), 67 with retinal branch vein occlusion (24% APA positive), 41 with central retinal artery occlusion (22% APA positive), 53 with retinal branch artery occlusion (32% APA positive), 71 with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (23% APA positive), 12 with posterior ischemic optic neuropathy (33% APA positive) and 31 patients with amaurosis fugax (23% APA positive). Excluding patients with accepted main risk factors, APA were positive in 15.3% of 85 patients. Conclusion: The high APA prevalence confirms its relevance in ocular occlusive disorders.

Author Contacts

Anja M. Palmowski-Wolfe, MD
University of Basel
Eye Hospital, Mittlere Strasse 91
CH-4051 Basel (Switzerland)
Tel. +41 61 265 8722, Fax +41 61 265 8744, E-Mail palmowskiA@uhbs.ch

Article Information

Presented in part at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, April 2004.

Received: February 23, 2006
Accepted after revision: April 27, 2006
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 4, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 23

Medline Abstract (ID 17183200)

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