J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2020 Jan;61(1):9-16. 10.3341/jkos.2020.61.1.9.

Nationwide Cross-sectional Study of Association between Pterygium and Alkaline Phosphatase in a Population from Korea

• Kim HJ
• Rah SH
• Kim SW
• Kim SH

• KMID: 2468471
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2020.61.1.9

Abstract

PURPOSE
We determined whether elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was related to prevalence, location, type, length, and recurrence of pterygium in a population from the Republic of Korea.
METHODS
A nationwide cross-sectional dataset, the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008-2011), was used in this study. All participants were > 30 years of age and underwent the ALP test and ophthalmic evaluation (n = 22,359). One-way analysis of variance, the chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were used to compare characteristics and outcomes among participants. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the possible associations between serum ALP levels and various types of pterygium. Data were adjusted for known risk factors for development of pterygium and ALP elevation (age, sex, residence, sunlight exposure, drinking, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, BMI, AST, ALT, vitamin D, and HDL).
RESULTS
The overall prevalence of pterygium was 8.1%, and participants with pterygium had higher levels of serum ALP (p < 0.001). Participants with higher serum ALP had a significantly higher prevalence of all types of pterygium than those in the lower serum ALP quartiles. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that ALP was associated with the prevalence of pterygium (odds ratio [OR], 1.001; p = 0.038). Trend analysis between the OR and ALP quartiles revealed a linear trend in overall prevalence and in the intermediate type of pterygium. Subgroup analysis revealed a stronger correlation in participants > 50 years of age. One-way analysis of variance revealed an association between the size of pterygium and serum ALP quartile levels. Serum ALP was not associated with recurrence of pterygium.
CONCLUSIONS
Increased serum ALP was associated with the prevalence and size of pterygium.

Keyword

Alkaline phosphatase; Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Pterygium

MeSH Terms

Alkaline Phosphatase*
Cross-Sectional Studies*
Dataset
Drinking
Hypertension
Korea*
Logistic Models
Nutrition Surveys
Prevalence
Pterygium*
Recurrence
Republic of Korea
Risk Factors
Smoke
Smoking
Sunlight
Vitamin D
Alkaline Phosphatase
Smoke
Vitamin D

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Association between alkaline phosphatase and size of pterygium. Linear trends in pterygium size.

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