Thiol–Disulfide Homeostasis, Serum Superoxide Dismutase, and Ischemia‑Modified Albumin Levels in Retinal Vein Occlusion

Purpose To evaluate the alterations and associations of thiol–disulfide homeostasis (TDH), ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO).Methods This prospective case-control study included 23 treatment-naïve RVO patients and 34 healthy control subjects comparable in terms of age and sex. Serum total thiol, native thiol, IMA levels and serum and urine SOD activity were measured using a spectrophotometric assay.Results Patients with RVO demonstrated markedly reduced levels of native thiol (252.84 ± 66.08 vs. 308.77 ± 33.21 μmol/L, p = 0.003), total thiol (294.02 ± 73.09 vs. 355.83 ± 36.92 μmol/L, p = 0.002), and disulfide concentrations (20.59 ± 3.65 vs. 23.53 ± 2.34 μmol/L, p = 0.001) in comparison to healthy controls. The computed ratio of disulfide to native thiol was comparable between the two groups (p > 0.05). No differences were seen in serum IMA levels and SOD levels in both serum and urine samples between RVO and healthy controls (p > 0.05).Conclusion Our findings suggest a potential association between altered TDH and RVO. The observed biomarker profile indicates a complex redox pattern, highlighting the need for further studies to better understand the underlying mechanisms.