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. 2015:2015:292615.
doi: 10.1155/2015/292615. Epub 2015 Jun 2.

ET-1 Plasma Levels, Aqueous Flare, and Choroidal Thickness in Patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa

Ernesto Strobbe  1 , Mauro Cellini  1 , Michela Fresina  1 , Emilio C Campos  1
Affiliations

ET-1 Plasma Levels, Aqueous Flare, and Choroidal Thickness in Patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa

Ernesto Strobbe et al. J Ophthalmol. 2015.

Abstract

Purpose. To assess endothelin-1 (ET-1) plasma levels, choroidal thickness, and aqueous flare in patients with early stage retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and to search for possible correlations. Methods. We compared 24 RP patients with 24 healthy controls. Choroidal thickness and aqueous flare were measured, respectively, by using a spectral domain optical coherence tomography and a laser flare-cell meter, whereas plasma samples were obtained from each patient to evaluate ET-1 plasma levels. Results. Notably, RP subjects showed significantly increased ET-1 plasma levels and reduced choroidal thickness compared with controls: 2.143 ± 0.258 versus 1.219 ± 0.236 pg/mL, P < 0.002, and 226.75 ± 76.37 versus 303.9 ± 39.87 μm, P < 0.03, respectively. Higher aqueous flare values were also demonstrated in RP compared to controls: in detail, 10.51 ± 3.97 versus 5.66 ± 1.29 photon counts/ms, P < 0.0001. Spearman's correlation test highlighted that the increase of ET-1 plasma levels was related with the decrease of choroidal thickness (r = -0.702; P < 0.023) and the increase of aqueous flare (r = 0.580; P < 0.007). Conclusions. Early stage RP patients show a breakdown of blood-ocular barrier and increased ET-1 plasma levels and these findings may contribute to the reduction of choroidal thickness.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography scan of a control subject. Choroidal thickness was measured as the distance between the hyperreflective line of the retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch's membrane complex and the innermost hyperreflective line of the choroid-sclera junction. For illustration purposes, the resultant images were reinverted.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scatterplot showing the correlation between ET-1 plasma levels (picogram/milliliter) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (micrometers) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scatterplot showing the correlation between ET-1 plasma levels (picogram/milliliter) and aqueous flare (photon counts/millisecond) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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