{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:37:46Z","timestamp":1760143066237,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,22]],"date-time":"2024-01-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1705881600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia","award":["175092"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["175092"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: It is well known that alterations in microvascular structure and function contribute to the development of ocular, renal, and cardiovascular diseases. Accordingly, the presence of fundus vascular changes in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) and Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) may provide information of prognostic value regarding the progression of renal disease. This study aimed to examine the associations between clinical characteristics and retinal optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) parameters in patients with BEN and compare them with those in CKD. Materials and Methods: This pilot study, conducted from March 2021 to April 2022, included 63 patients who were divided into two groups: the first group consisted of 29 patients suffering from BEN, and the second was a control group of 34 patients with CKD. Demographic, laboratory, clinical, and medication data were noted for all the patients included in this study. Each eye underwent OCT angiography, and the results were interpreted in accordance with the practical guide for the interpretation of OCTA findings. Results: Statistically significantly higher levels of total serum protein and triglycerides were recorded in the BEN group than in the CKD group, while the level of HDL cholesterol was lower. Based on the performed urinalysis, statistically significantly higher values of total protein and creatinine were detected in patients with CKD compared to the BEN group. It was demonstrated that the OCTA vascular plexus density of certain parts of the retina was in significant association with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, creatinine clearance, urinary creatinine, total cholesterol, diabetes mellitus type 2, age, body mass index, total serum and urinary protein, sCRP, and diuretic and antihypertensive treatment. Conclusions: In comparison with CKD, BEN leads to more significant disturbances in retinal vasculature density.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina60010192","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,22]],"date-time":"2024-01-22T05:42:31Z","timestamp":1705902151000},"page":"192","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Assessment of Retinal Microangiopathy in Patients with Balkan Endemic Nephropathy Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography\u2014A Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"60","author":[{"given":"Jasmina","family":"Djordjevic-Jocic","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Blvd. Dr Zorana Djindjica 81, 18000 Nis, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jovana Cukuranovic","family":"Kokoris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, 18000 Nis, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Branka","family":"Mitic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, 18000 Nis, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dragan","family":"Bogdanovic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Statistics, State University of Novi Pazar, 36300 Novi Pazar, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7014-8110","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marija","family":"Trenkic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Blvd. Dr Zorana Djindjica 81, 18000 Nis, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2064-9520","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nevena","family":"Zlatanovic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Center Nis, 18000 Nis, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hristina","family":"Jocic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic of Neurosurgery, University Clinical Center of Nis, 18000 Nis, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rade","family":"Cukuranovic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, 18000 Nis, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"786","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)00519-5","article-title":"Chronic kidney disease","volume":"398","author":"Jafar","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"831","DOI":"10.1111\/jch.14186","article-title":"Chronic kidney disease: Definition, updated epidemiology, staging, and mechanisms of increased cardiovascular risk","volume":"23","author":"Wilson","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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