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Fibrinolytic activity in retinal vein occlusion

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Abstract

Purpose: Impaired fibrinolytic function is a common finding in patients with thrombotic disease. The present study was initiated to evaluate the fibrinolytic response to a venous occlusion test (VOT) in patients with retinal vein occlusion. Methods: Euglobulin clot lysis time (ECLT), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity, and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity were measured before and after VOT in a group of 26 consecutive patients presenting with retinal vein occlusion and in 15 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Results: Before VOT (baseline), a higher proportion of patients (54%) had an ECLT of more than 5 h compared with controls (6.7%)(p = 0.0027) indicating decreased overall fibrinolytic activity. Patients had non-significantly lower t-PA and higher PAI activities compared with controls. After VOT, a higher proportion of patients (34.6%) had an ECLT of more than 5 h compared with controls (6.7%) (p = 0.05). Patients had significantly lower t-PA activity (p = 0.0232) and significantly higher PAI activity (p = 0.0292).Subgroup analysis revealed that patients with an ECLT of more than 5 h had significantly higher levels of PAI activity at baseline (p =0.0326) and after VOT (p = 0.0184) compared with patients with an ECLT of less than 5 hours. However, t-PA activity was significantly higher(p = 0.0153) at baseline, and non-significantly higher after VOT in patients with an ECLT of more than 5 h when compared with patients with an ECLT of less than 5 hours. Conclusions: These findings suggest that impaired fibrinolysis due to increased PAI activity may play a role in the pathogenesis of retinal vein occlusion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Ophthalmology, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed M. Abu El-Asrar & Saleh Al-Amro

  2. Coagulation Research Laboratory, Saudi Arabia

    Abdel Galil M. Abdel Gader

  3. Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology), College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Abdul-Kareem Al-Momem

Authors
  1. Ahmed M. Abu El-Asrar
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  2. Abdel Galil M. Abdel Gader
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  3. Saleh Al-Amro
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  4. Abdul-Kareem Al-Momem
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El-Asrar, A.M.A., Abdel Gader, A.G.M., Al-Amro, S. et al. Fibrinolytic activity in retinal vein occlusion. Int Ophthalmol 21, 343–348 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006075815099

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