title: Serum ferritin levels correlate with hypertensive retinopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years several studies showed an association between body iron stores, represented by serum ferritin, and oxidative stress. The pathophysiological mechanism of hypertensive retinopathy (HR) is not fully established. Elevated blood pressure alone does not fully account for the extent of retinopathy; other pathogenic mechanisms may be involved, such as increased oxidative stress. Therefore this study was designed to determine whether ferritin levels change in HR and whether there is any relationship between the degree of HR and ferritin level.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 72 essential hypertensive patients with HR. The hypertensive patients were divided into two groups according to the Keith-Wagener classification. Group 1 comprised 36 patients with grade I HR and group 2 36 patients with grade II HR Thirty-six normotensive healthy subjects matched for age, sex, and body mass index were selected for the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of ferritin in group 2 was significantly higher than in group 1 (92.9+/-31.8 vs. 77.8+/-23.7 ng/ml, p=0.027) and the normotensive control group (92.9+/-31.8 vs. 59.9+/-19.2 ng/ml, p=0.001). It was also higher in group 2 than in the control group (77.8+/-23.7 vs. 59.9+/-19.2 ng/ml, p=0.018). Ferritin level also showed positive correlation with the degree of HR in the hypertensive group (r=0.31, p=0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that there is a relationship between HR and ferritin level, which may be associated with an increased level of oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey. ecoban@akdeniz.edu.tr
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coban
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.forename: Seher
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altuntas
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akar
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins