[Keratoconjunctivitis sicca in patients with lipoprotein (a) elevation].
BACKGROUND
Elevated Lp(a) levels are known as risk factor for premature coronary artery disease and apoplexy. To our knowledge ophthalmologic alterations have not been described in combination with elevated Lp(a) levels. We examined whether patients with LP (a) elevation had an increased incidence of keratoconjunctivitis sicca.


METHODS
27 patients, 16 women and 11 men were examined. The Lp(a) value was in all patients definitively pathological. The following examinations were performed: history, slitlamp examination, Schirmer-test, impressioncytology, fluorescein staining of the cornea, applanation tonometry and examination of the ocular fundus.


RESULTS
The results show a pathologic Schirmer-test in 70.3% of the eyes, in 81.5% a pathologic impressioncytology, and in 48.1% a pathologic fluorescein staining. The Schirmer-test is not sufficiently sensitive and specific in diagnosing the dry eye, whereas impression cytology is highly sensitive and specific.


CONCLUSIONS
We could show, that in more than 80% of the examined patients at least one sign of keratoconjunctivitis sicca was found; however we did not find a correlation between the height of the Lp(a) level and the degree of pathologic impression cytology. Further examinations are needed to investigate the causal connection between keratoconjunctivitis sicca and Lp(a) elevation.
Wiedemann
R
R
Universitäts-Augenklinik Leipzig, Universität Leipzig.
Reuter
W
W
Meier
T
T
Wiedemann
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007638:Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
D017270:Lipoprotein(a)