Adjusted global antiphospholipid syndrome score (aGAPSS) is useful to predict relapses in patients with retinal vein occlusion

Abstract

Background A significant proportion of patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) are antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) carriers. Relapsing disease occurs in nearly 10 % of cases and the role of aPL has not been established. The adjusted global antiphospholipid syndrome score (aGAPSS) was developed to assess the risk of clinical events in aPL carriers and its role in the management of RVO patients is unknown.

Objective To analyze the values of aGAPSS in a large cohort of patients with RVO and population-based controls, and to assess its usefulness to predict RVO relapses.

Methods Case-control study of RVO patients and population-based controls of similar age and sex. We have assessed and compared the aPL profile and the aGAPSS score in patients with and without relapsing disease and controls.

Results Four-hundred and seventy-two RVO patients and 346 controls were included. Fifty-seven RVO patients had antiphospholipid syndrome (RVO-APS). Of them, 75.4 % had a high-risk profile compared to 3 % in controls (p = 0.0001). The median aGAPSS values were 8 [7?13], 3 [1?4], and 3 [0?4], in RVO-APS, RVO no-APS, and controls. Nineteen patients had had a recurrence of RVO before inclusion and 8 during the follow-up. APS was more prevalent in relapsing patients. In the adjusted multivariable regression model, the best predictor for RVO recurrence during the follow-up was an aGAPSS score ?6 (OR 5.5, CI95% 1.3?23.7; p = 0.023).

Conclusions In patients with RVO, once the control of vascular risk factors has been optimized, the aGAPSS might help to identify those at risk of relapsing disease.