Plasma homocysteine concentrations in the acute phase after central retinal vein occlusion in a Chinese population

To explore the relationship between total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentration and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in the acute phase in a Chinese population.

This was a matched case-control study, and participants were recruited between January 2008 and April 2012. The cohort included 68 consecutive patients with CRVO and 68 controls, matched for age and gender, aged 50 years and over. The total plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate levels and the presence of C677T MTHFR polymorphisms were analyzed in all patients and controls. Fasting venous blood samples were collected within three days after CRVO.

There were no significant differences (p = 0.134) in mean plasma tHcy between CRVO patients (10.73 ± 3.21 µmol/l) and controls (9.99 ± 2.57 µmol/l), nor were there any statistically significant differences when subjects were categorized by ischemic and nonischemic CRVO. However, six patients (27.3%) in the ischemic group and three patients (6.5%) in the nonischemic group were found to have hyperhomocysteinemia (p = 0.018). There were no statistically significant differences in serum folate (p = 0.503) or vitamin B12 levels (p = 0.419) between CRVO patients (folate, 5.97 ± 2.06 ng/ml; vitamin B12, 411 ± 122 pg/ml) and controls (folate, 6.18 ± 1.42 ng/ml; vitamin B12, 427 ± 115 pg/ml). The prevalence of the homozygous genotype of the MTHFR C677T mutation was not significantly different in patients than in controls.

We found no association between tHcy in the acute phase after CRVO and CRVO occurrence in a Chinese population, but hyperhomocysteinemia were associated with the development of CRVO.