Retinal vein occlusion: genetic predisposition and systemic risk factors.

The role of systemic risk factors (age, smoking, diabetes, arterial hypertension) in the development of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is well established. However, the association of RVO with genetic predisposition to thrombosis remains poorly understood. The aim of the study was to assess any possible additional effect of genetic predisposition to the already well known 'classical' risk factors of RVO in a cohort of elderly Greek patients. Fifty-one elderly patients with RVO and 51 healthy individuals matched for age and sex were evaluated for systemic risk factors (smoking, diabetes, dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension) and coagulation defects (lupus anticoagulant, natural inhibitors of coagulation). Additionally, genotyping was performed for mutations/polymorphisms involved in haemostasis such as: FV G1691A, FV G4070A, FIIG 20210A, MTHFR C677T and A1298C, PAI-1-675 4G/5G, F XIII exon 2G/T, EPCR A4600G and G4678C. We identified systemic risk factors in the majority of the patients Hypertension (P=0.001), dyslipidemia (P=0.029) and diabetes (P=0.01) are associated with RVO in the majority of the patients. The prevalence of prothrombotic risk factors was not significantly different in the patients with RVO compared to controls. Apart from systemic risk factors, genetic predisposition to thrombosis does not seem to have an important association with RVO in this group of elderly patients. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 24:279-283 (C) 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.