title: Associations between thrombophilic risk factors and determinants of atherosclerosis and inflammation in patients with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy.
abstract: Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is caused by ischaemia of the optic nerve head. The pathophysiology of NAION is unclear, and no proven effective treatment exists.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed thrombophilic risk factors and determinants of atherosclerosis and inflammation in 109 consecutive patients and 109 age- and sex-matched volunteers using a case-control design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High levels of fibrinogen (>384 mg/dl; OR 3.2, p = 0.003), factors VIII:C (>183%; OR 2.6, p = 0.02), IX (>153%; OR 2.6, p = 0.026), XI (>142%; OR 3.4, p = 0.006), von Willebrand factor (activity >205%; OR 3.1, p = 0.005; antigen >194%; OR 3.5, p = 0.002), and triglycerides (>228 mg/dl; OR 2.8, p = 0.026), higher platelet counts (>294,000/μl; OR 2.5, p = 0.04), low levels of HDL cholesterol (<40 mg/dl; OR 2.7, p = 0.032), and an accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (>20 mm/h; OR 4.4, p = 0.003) were associated with NAION.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the contention of a complex pathogenesis of NAION resulting from the coincidence of proatherogenic, prothrombotic and proinflammatory processes. The alterations described could be causative, side effects, or just coincidental findings.
authors.affiliation: Rainer B. Zotz, Centrum für Blutgerinnungsstörungen und Transfusionsmedizin (CBT), Immermannstr. 65a, 40210 Düsseldorf, Germany, Tel. +49/(0)211/175 46 60, Fax +49/(0)211/17 54 66 22, zotz@hemo-stasis.de.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Zotz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Finger
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Scharf
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Unsöld
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001167:Arteritis; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018917:Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: NAION; atherosclerosis; inflammation; risk factors; thrombophilia