Eales' disease: accumulation of reactive oxygen intermediates and lipid peroxides and decrease of antioxidants...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biochemistry
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Eales' disease is characterized by intraocular inflammation, retinal neovascularization, and detachment.
• The role of oxidative stress and antioxidant vitamins in the pathogenesis of Eales' disease requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify blood levels of lipid peroxidation products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances - TBARS) and antioxidant vitamins (E, C, and A) in patients with Eales' disease.
• To correlate these biochemical markers with the inflammatory and neovascular complications in Eales' disease.

Main Methods:

• Assessed TBARS, vitamin E, vitamin C, and vitamin A levels in three groups: active Eales' disease, healed Eales' disease, and healthy controls.
• Subjects were aged 20-40 years and divided into two age subgroups (20-30 and 31-40 years).

Main Results:

• Significantly elevated TBARS levels were observed in both active (4.6-5.6 fold) and healed (2 fold) Eales' disease patients compared to controls.
• Marked decreases in serum vitamin E (75-76.2%), plasma vitamin C (34-40.9%), and serum vitamin A (72.8-67%) were found in active Eales' disease patients.
• Healed Eales' disease patients also showed significant reductions in vitamins E, C, and A compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Reduced levels of antioxidant vitamins E and C, coupled with increased lipid peroxidation, likely contribute to the ocular inflammation and neovascularization in Eales' disease.
• Vitamin A deficiency may exacerbate the retinal pathology associated with Eales' disease.