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Uric acid (UA) is a major antioxidant molecule in the human blood, and it has been linked with cell longevity. However, it is unclear whether serum UA levels are associated with red blood cell (RBC) indexes. This cross-sectional study included 10,759 Chinese subjects, recruited from the Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital from January 2014 to December 2017. The participants were categorized into gender groups and then further divided into three different subgroups according to their UA reference range as follows: low (male (UA<0.202 mmol/l), female (UA<0.143 mmol/l)), normal (male (0.417 mmol/l>UA≥0.202 mmol/l), female (0.339 mmol/l>UA≥0.143 mmol/l)), and high (male (UA≥0.417 mmol/l), female (UA≥0.339 mmol/l)). The associations of UA levels with RBC parameters were analyzed using 1-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and multivariate linear regression. The levels of mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, RBCs, and hemoglobin were lowest in the low UA group, followed by the normal UA group and high UA group (p<0.001). Pearson analysis showed that there was a statistically significant correlation between UA levels with mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations, mean corpuscular volumes, RBC counts, and hemoglobin (p<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis suggested that there were statistically significant positive correlations between UA levels and RBC counts (B=0.245, p<0.001, 95% CI=0.003 to 0.092), as well as UA levels and hemoglobin concentrations (B=0.138, p<0.001, 95% CI=0.002 to 0.082). Furthermore, similar results were observed in both the male and female subgroups. The serum UA levels may be independently associated with RBC parameters, regardless of sex, and UA may protect RBCs owing to its antioxidant effect.

Purpose. Increased evidence reveals that uric acid (UA) may have an important neuroprotective effect through its antioxidant properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between pretreatment serum UA levels and the progression of newly diagnosed primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). Methods. This prospective observational cohort study included 64 patients with newly diagnosed PACG who were followed up for a mean period of 12.77 months (range: 3–28 months). All subjects underwent a complete ophthalmological examination during the baseline and final follow-up visits, together with the acquisition of blood samples for UA measurements. During the follow-up period, the progression of PACG was defined as a clinical diagnosis of medically uncontrolled intraocular pressure and a loss of visual field with a mean deviation of >1 dB/year. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to investigate the association between baseline serum UA levels and the progression of PACG. The cumulative probability of progression of glaucoma was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results. During follow-up, 32 subjects were defined as progressive PACG, among whom baseline UA values were significantly higher in nonprogressing subjects than in progressing subjects (0.314±0.069 mmol/l versus [vs.] 0.258±0.069 mmol/l, respectively; P=0.002). Similar results were also observed in male and female subgroups (P<0.05). In a multivariable model, a decreased baseline serum UA level was associated with an increased risk for progressing PACG: both in male (hazard ratio [HR] 6.088 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.163–31.8638]; P=0.032) and female subjects (HR 3.565 [95% CI 1.131–11.236]; P=0.030). Subjects with high UA levels demonstrated higher cumulative probabilities of nonprogressing PACG than those with low UA levels (male [16.67% vs. 80.00%; P=0.0084] and female [29.41% vs. 68.00%; P=0.0182]). Conclusion. An association between high baseline serum UA levels and a decreased risk for progressing PACG was found. This primary finding suggests that high serum UA levels may have a protective role against PACG and could slow disease progression.

Purpose. To evaluate platelet parameters in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and to explore the association between platelet parameters and POAG severity. Methods. A total of 402 consecutive POAG patients and 408 healthy control subjects from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, were consecutively recruited between January 2016 and October 2018. Detailed ophthalmological and systematic examinations were performed. Blood samples for platelet parameters, including platelet count (PLT), platelet distribution width (PDW), plateletcrit (PCT), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR), were analyzed using an automated hematology analyzer in the department of clinical laboratory science of the hospital. The POAG subgroups were classified according to age ( 12 dB). Results. In POAG patients, PLT counts (207.08 ± 54.70 ∗ 109/L) were significantly lower p=0.001 than those of the control group (220.46 ± 55.85 ∗ 109/L). In the POAG group, PDW (13.76 ± 3.16 fL) and MPV (10.46 ± 1.32 fL) values were significantly higher (all p<0.001) than those of the control group (PDW 11.82 ± 2.44 fL, MPV 10.13 ± 1.10 fL). PDW and MPV values were highest in the severe POAG group (PDW 14.49 ± 2.99 fL; MPV 10.74 ± 1.39 fL), followed by the moderate group (PDW 12.50 ± 3.14 fL; MPV 10.02 ± 1.08 fL) and then the mild group (PDW 11.82 ± 2.44 fL; MPV 9.92 ± 0.76 fL), with statistically significant differences observed between mild-severe POAG and moderate-severe POAG groups by LSD post hoc test. Multiple linear regression analyses showed a significant association between PDW and MD (β = 0.430, p<0.001) and MPV and MD (β = 0.363, p=0.001). Logistic regression analyses revealed that PDW (OR = 1.297, 95% CI = 1.011–1.663) was associated with the severity of POAG. Conclusions. PDW and MPV values were significantly elevated in POAG patients, and PDW was positively associated with disease severity, which suggested the possibility that platelet activation be involved in pathomechanisms of POAG.