Serum levels of antibodies against oxidation-specific epitopes are decreased in patients with retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE Oxidative stress and inflammation have been implicated in the development of retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Oxidation-specific epitopes (OSEs) represent products of oxidative stress that can trigger vascular inflammation and thrombosis. Natural occurring antibodies have been shown to bind OSEs thereby inhibiting their inflammatory potential and promoting their removal. METHODS This prospective cross-sectional study included 270 patients with RVO and 81 in-hospital control patients. We measured three types of serum levels of OSE-specific IgM and IgG antibodies (anti-copper-oxidized LDL (CuOx-LDL), anti-phosphocholine (PC), anti-malondialdehyde-modified LDL (MDA-LDL). History of arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, stroke, smoking status and several laboratory parameters were determined to control for potential confounders. RESULTS As compared to controls, patients with RVO had significantly lower levels of IgM and IgG antibodies against CuOx-LDL and PC, and significantly lower levels of IgG but not IgM antibodies against MDA-LDL. The association between RVO patients and lower levels of these antibodies prevailed upon multivariable adjustment. CONCLUSIONS These prospective data show that antibodies against OSE are lower in patients with RVO as compared to control patients and support the concept that oxidative stress and inflammation play key roles in the development and subsequent complications in RVO.