Carriers of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. A fluorophotometric determination of the permeability of the blood-retinal barrier.

The blood-retinal barrier permeability to fluorescein was studied in a single family with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa by an elaborate vitreous fluorophotometric method. Affected males showed a ten times increase of permeability compared with normals. In a group of seven obligate carriers the mean permeability was significantly increased by 45% compared with the mean permeability in a group of normals. Five of the seven carriers had permeabilities higher than the normal mean permeability + 2 SD, while two carriers had a permeability within the normal mean +/- 2 SD. Thus, this study supported that carriers of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa show deterioration of the blood-retinal barrier. However, the phenomenon is not present in all carriers and the permeability cannot be used as a completely safe indicator of the carrier state.