title: Impaired fibrinolysis in retinal vein occlusion: a role for genetic determinants of PAI-1 levels.
abstract: Few and contrasting data are available on the presence of a thrombophilic state in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and we have previously demonstrated a role of elevated PAI-1 activity as a risk factor for this condition. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether PAI 4G/5G and ACE I/D polymorphisms are independent risk factors for RVO and whether they account for elevated PAI-1 activity levels. We studied 112 RVO patients (52 males and 60 females; range 18-83 years; median age 60 years) and 112 healthy subjects (52 males and 60 females; range 20-84 years; median age 57 years). PAI-1 activity was determined by a chromogenic assay and ACE I/D and PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphisms by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction length fragment polymorphism (RLFP) methods. Elevated PAI-1 activity (above 95(th) percentile of the controls) was significantly associated with RVO at multivariate analysis after adjustment for age, sex, traditional cardiovascular risk factors and haemostasis-related risk factors (OR = 4.93, 95% CI 1.70-14.30; p = 0.003). The homozygosity for ACE DD was found to be an independent risk factor for RVO at multivariate analysis (OR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.01-3.83; p = 0.049), whereas no significant association between homozygosity for PAI-1 4G4G and risk of RVO was observed. Subjects carrying both ACE DD genotype and PAI-1 4G4G genotype showed an increased risk for RVO at multivariate analysis (OR = 4.82, 95% CI 1.89-12.29; p = 0.001). In 45/112 patients without the established risk factors for RVO (hyper-tension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes) or characteristics known to be associated to increased PAI-1 activity (overweight, hypertriglyceridemia, and smoking habit) the contemporary presence of ACE DD and PAI-1 4G4G genotype was significantly associated with a risk for RVO (OR = 8.26, 95% CI 1.18-57.92; p = 0.034). In conclusion, in our study: 1-indicates that ACE DD genotype is a risk factor for RVO in the whole group of patients, and in the subgroup of patients without the established risk factors for RVO or characteristics influencing the PAI-1 activity, when associated to PAI-1 4G4G genotype, and 2-confirms the role of hypofibrinolysis, documented by high levels of PAI-1 activity, in the occurrence of patients with RVO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Medical Critical Care, Thrombosis Center, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni, 85, 50134 Florence, Italy. am.gori@dac.unifi.it
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gori
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marcucci
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fatini
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gensini
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sticchi
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sodi
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cappelli
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Menchini
authors.forename: Gian Franco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Gensini
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prisco
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A