Abstract
Purpose
To determine C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in acute retinal artery occlusion (RAO) and their association with atherosclerotic risk factors.
Methods
CRP levels in 16 patients with RAO were compared with levels in 16 age-matched controls at risk of atherosclerosis and 16 young volunteers. Repeated CRP testing was performed 6 years later.
Results
Elevated CRP levels (>3 mg/l) and risk factors for atherosclerosis were detected in seven patients in the study group (44%) and nine at-risk controls (56%). On follow-up, CRP levels were reduced in all seven retested patients. Six patients died of vascular events within 5 years, of whom four had high CRP levels during RAO.
Conclusions
CRP level correlates with atherosclerosis but it is not significantly elevated in patients with RAO.
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Acknowledgements
This study was presented in part at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA, 2001; Abstract no. 3064; supported by the Ernest and Nusia Gothalf Fund, Tel Aviv University, 1998. We thank Ms. Dorit Karesh for the statistical analysis and Gloria Ginzach, Marian Propp and Melanie Kawe for their editorial and secretarial assistance.
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Goldenberg-Cohen, N., Cohen, Y., Monselise, Y. et al. C-reactive protein levels do not correlate with retinal artery occlusion but with atherosclerosis. Eye 23, 785–790 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2008.159
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2008.159
