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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Optimization of the Retinal Vein Occlusion Mouse Model to Limit Variability
Published on: August 6, 2021
[Retinal vein occlusion and hyperhomocysteinemia]
J Blondel1, A Glacet-Bernard, N Bayani
1Centre Hospitalier National des Quinze-Vingts, Service II, 28, rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris, France.
Insights
Elevated homocysteine levels are linked to retinal vein occlusion (RVO), a vascular disease. Further research is needed to confirm if vitamin therapy can prevent or treat RVO.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Elevated plasma homocysteine is a known risk factor for vascular diseases.
- Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a significant cause of vision loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for RVO.
- To determine if plasma homocysteine levels are a prognostic factor for RVO outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Plasma homocysteine levels were measured in 101 RVO patients and 29 controls.
- Correlations between homocysteine, other risk factors, and RVO clinical outcomes were analyzed.
Main Results:
- RVO patients exhibited significantly higher mean plasma homocysteine levels than controls (11.9 vs 8.6 mmol/l).
- Hyperhomocysteinemia was more prevalent in ischemic and bilateral RVO cases, though not statistically significant.
- No significant relation was found between homocysteine and other vascular risk factors, except hematocrit.
Conclusions:
- Hyperhomocysteinemia appears to be an independent risk factor for RVO.
- The study did not establish a link between homocysteine levels and severe RVO prognosis.
- The efficacy of vitamin therapy for RVO prevention or treatment requires further investigation.
Introduction:
Previous studies have reported that an elevated plasma homocysteine level is a risk factor for vascular disease. The aim of this study is to determine whether hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and whether it is a prognostic factor.
Patients And Methods:
The plasma homocysteine level was measured in 101 patients and compared to the plasma homocysteine level of controls. The relation between plasma homocysteine level and the other known risk factors of retinal vein occlusion was studied, as well as the correlation between the clinical outcome of the RVO and the plasma homocysteine level.
Results:
The mean plasma homocysteine level was significantly higher in the 101 RVO patients than in the 29 controls (11.9 mmol/l vs 8.6, p<0.001). We found no relation between plasma homocysteine and other risk factors of vascular disease except for the hematocrit level. Hyperhomocysteinemia was more frequent in the ischemic forms and in bilateral RVO, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
Hyperhomocysteinemia seems to be an independent risk factor for RVO and was more frequent in severe RVO, but our study did not evidence an association with a severe prognosis. Vitamin therapy can decrease homocysteinemia but its efficacy in the prevention and in the treatment of RVO remains to be demonstrated.
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