The level of alpha-antitrypsin and ceruloplasmin in the subretinal fluid of patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to determine alpha-antitrypsin (AAT) and ceruloplasmin (CER) level in the subretinal fluid of patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Investigation was performed in 41 patients (22 women, 19 men) operated on for RRD at the age from 24 to 81. The group of patients was divided with regard to the extent and duration of RRD. In 24 patients detachment involved 1 or 2 quadrants and in 17 patients--3 or 4 quadrants. In 16 subjects RRD lasted shorter than 2 weeks, in 6 patients--about one month and in 19 patients--from 1 to 3 months. The subretinal fluid was collected during operation. The levels of the examined substances were determined with the radial diffusion method on Nor-Partigen plates by Behring. The results were as follows: mean AAT concentration in the subretinal fluid of all the patients operated on for RRD was 0.739 +/- 0.475 g/l and CER was 0.186 +/- 0.122 g/l. Mean AAT concentrations did not differ statistically significantly between the group with bigger and smaller retinal detachments while CER level was higher in the group with a bigger RRD. Mean AAT and the CER concentration was statistically significantly higher in the group with RRD lasting from 1 to 3 months compared with the group with RRD lasting shorter than one month.

Conclusions: the fact of finding acute phase proteins in subretinal fluid suggests that they may play a part in the pathogenesis of RRD by affecting the intensity of local inflammatory reaction.