title: Serum heparanase concentration and heparanase activity in patients with retinal vein occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the serum heparanase concentration and heparanase activity of the patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) or branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 23 CRVO patients, 13 BRVO patients and 28 control subjects. Serum heparanase concentration was measured by ELISA. Serum heparanase activity was determined using a heparan degrading enzyme assay kit (Mountain View, CA, USA). Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for the possible confounding factors when comparing the difference in serum heparanase concentration and activity between patients with RVO and control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with CRVO (3.963 ± 0.816 U/l) or BRVO (3.371 ± 1.522 U/l) had significantly higher levels of heparanase protein compared to controls (1.055 ± 0.902 U/l). This significance remained after adjusting for aforementioned confounding factors (CRVO versus control, p = 0.000, 95%CI: 2.450-4.488; BRVO versus control, p = 0.006, 95%CI: 0.776-4.050). Patients with CRVO (0.3587 ± 0.1498 U/ml) or BRVO (0.3616 ± 0.0570 U/ml) had significantly higher levels of heparanase activity compared to controls (0.1449 ± 0.0952 U/ml). The significance was maintained after adjusting for the aforementioned confounding factors (CRVO versus control, p = 0.012, 95%CI: 0.036-0.275; BRVO versus control, p = 0.000, 95%CI: 0.150-0.395). There was no significant difference in serum heparanase protein levels and activities between CRVO and BRVO groups before and after confounding factor adjustment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides the first direct clinical link between systemic heparanase protein levels and heparanase activity with RVO, suggesting a critical role for heparanase in the pathophysiology of RVO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.|State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yijun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Alp
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atik
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of PLA, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Honghua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Boyong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Dongli
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000201:enzymology*; D000099175:Heparanase
chemical_list: D005966:Glucuronidase; D000099175:Heparanase
keywords: branch retinal vein occlusion; central retinal vein occlusion; heparanase; retinal vein occlusion