title: Extraocular blood flow and endothelin-1 plasma levels in patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: In order to evaluate whether plasma levels of the potent vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1) are increased in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and whether these patients exhibit an ET-1-mediated vascular dysregulation, ET-1 plasma levels were measured in 30 patients with MS. Blood flow velocities in the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, central retinal vein, short lateral posterior ciliary artery, and short medial posterior ciliary artery were assessed in parallel. ET-1 plasma levels were significantly increased in MS patients when compared to sex- and age-matched healthy controls (2.0 +/- 0.4 pg/ml, range 1.1-2.8 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.2 pg/ml, range 0.9-2.0; p < 0.001). Moreover, the patients exhibited significant alterations of extraocular blood flow. The role of ET-1 in the inflammatory process remains to be clarified.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic Basel, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pache
authors.forename: Hedwig J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akhalbedashvili
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lienert
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dubler
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kappos
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flammer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D019842:Ciliary Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1