title: Blood levels of antioxidants during age-related macular degeneration treatment by rheohaemapheresis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rheohaemapheresis treatment influences rheological markers and most likely improves metabolism in affected retinal areas, resulting not only in absorption of soft drusen but also reduction or complete disappearance of drusenoid retinal pigment epithelium detachments. However, the character of the treatment process has raised suspicion that there is a decrease not only in cholesterol but also in antioxidants, such as vitamin E and vitamin A.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with the progressive dry form of age-related macular degeneration were each treated with 8 procedures of rheohaemapheresis. We measured levels of vitamin E (α-tocopherol), the vitamin E/cholesterol ratio in serum and lipoproteins (VLDL, LDL, HDL). Vitamin E in erythrocyte membrane and serum vitamin A (retinol) were also measured. These parameters were determined before and after rheohaemapheresis. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase and serum malondialdehyde were analysed as markers of antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In serum, the VLDL and LDL fraction ratios of vitamin E/cholesterol increased significantly. Additionally, the HDL fraction ratio showed an increase but this was not statistically significant. The patients showed no clinical signs of vitamin E deficiency, and their serum concentrations of vitamin E did not differ from normal values. The results show that rheohaemapheresis in addition to causing a significant reduction in atherogenic LDL cholesterol, may have favourable additive anti-atherogenic effects due to a relative increase in the content of vitamin E in the lipoprotein fractions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aufartova
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Internal Medicine - Hematology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague and University Hospital Hradec Kralove.
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blaha
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kasalova
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove.
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Honegrova
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove.
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cervinkova
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine - Metabolic Care and Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague and University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.|Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kujovska Krcmova
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plisek
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Internal Medicine - Hematology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague and University Hospital Hradec Kralove.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lanska
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine - Metabolic Care and Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague and University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lubos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sobotka
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine - Metabolic Care and Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague and University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solichova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants
keywords: age related macular degeneration; antioxidants; rheohaemapheresis; vitamin E; vitamin E/cholesterol ratio