title: Relationship between aqueous flare and visual function in retinitis pigmentosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation between aqueous flare values and central visual function in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, observational case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 160 patients diagnosed with typical RP and 59 control subjects. Aqueous flare values were measured by laser flare cell meter. The relationships between aqueous flare and best-corrected visual acuity (VA) and mean deviation (MD) of static perimetry tests were analyzed in RP patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aqueous flare values were significantly higher in the RP patients compared to the control subjects (10.6 ± 7.9 vs 5.0 ± 2.1 photon counts per millisecond [pc/ms], P < .0001). In the RP patients, the aqueous flare values were negatively correlated with VA (r = 0.359, P < .0001) and MD (r = -0.330, P < .0001). Age-subgroup analysis showed a significant correlation between aqueous flare and VA in the RP patients' 40s, 50s, and 60s and between aqueous flare and MD in the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. The RP patients with MD values ≥-15 decibels (dB) showed significantly higher levels of aqueous flare than those with MD values <-15 dB (12.0 ± 6.2 vs 8.7 ± 5.8, P = .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aqueous flare is increased in RP patients and negatively correlates with central visual function. These results suggest a close relationship between inflammation and central vision loss in RP.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Yusuke
authors: Y
authors: Murakami
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Noriko
authors: N
authors: Yoshida
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic address: ymocl@pathol1.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
authors: Yasuhiro
authors: Y
authors: Ikeda
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Shunji
authors: S
authors: Nakatake
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Department of Ophthalmology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan.
authors: Kota
authors: K
authors: Fujiwara
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Shoji
authors: S
authors: Notomi
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Takahiro
authors: T
authors: Nabeshima
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Shintaro
authors: S
authors: Nakao
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Toshio
authors: T
authors: Hisatomi
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Saga University Faculty of Medicine, Saga, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Enaida
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Tatsuro
authors: T
authors: Ishibashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000166:cytology*; D018916:Blood-Aqueous Barrier; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010783:Photometry / Q000379:methods; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult