scholarly journals Choroidal Vascularity Index in Adult-Onset Foveomacular Vitelliform Dystrophy: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 10487
Author(s):  
Solmaz Abdolrahimzadeh ◽  
Serena Fragiotta ◽  
Chiara Ciacimino ◽  
Mariachiara Di Pippo ◽  
Gianluca Scuderi
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Early Age ◽  
Adult Onset ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Luminal Area ◽  
Choroidal Vasculature ◽  
Vascular Status

This pilot study aims to investigate choroidal vascular status in eyes with adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AOFVD), early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and age-matched controls. In this retrospective study, choroidal thickness (CT) was measured manually using spectral domain optical coherence tomography images of the fovea, and 500 and 1500 µm from the nasal and temporal regions in the fovea. The horizontal B-scan was imported into Fiji software. Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) and luminal and stromal areas were calculated. A total of 36 eyes from 36 patients, including 18 eyes with AOFVD and 18 eyes with CD, and 16 eyes of healthy subjects were included. CVI was significantly different among subgroups (ANOVA, p = 0.004). Eyes with AOFVD presented a higher CVI (+0.03 ± 0.01, p = 0.001) than eyes with CD and controls (p = 0.03). No differences in CVI were detected between controls and eyes with CD (p = 0.25). AOFVD eyes accounted for the greatest luminal area, particularly significant in comparison with healthy controls (+0.27 ± 0.11, p = 0.02). AOFVD eyes present a greater CVI than eyes with CD and controls. The major choroidal involvement is on the luminal component, further corroborating a possible role of the choroidal vasculature in the pathological manifestations of AOFVD disease.

Integrity of Foveal Cones in Early Age-related Macular Degeneration

2009 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Dirk van Norren ◽  
Martijn Kanis ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Macular Pigment ◽  
Unique Property ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Directional Sensitivity ◽  
Early Age ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Retinal Element

In this article, we highlight a method that probes the directional sensitivity of cones, in particular those in the fovea. Directional sensitivity is a unique property of cones, i.e. it is not shared by any other retinal element, and can be taken as a measure of the health of cones. In a group of healthy subjects, the directional reflection was 1.78%. In early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), despite a healthy-looking fovea, the mean directional reflection was 0.92%; in late AMD, the figure decreased further to 0.86%. These findings point to a malfunctioning of the outer segments. In addition, the method yields an estimate of the optical density of macular pigment. In early AMD, the macular pigment did not differ from normal; this finding did not point to a protecting role of macular pigment in AMD.

scholarly journals Complement C5 is not critical for the formation of sub-RPE deposits in Efemp1 mutant mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donita L. Garland ◽  
Eric A. Pierce ◽  
Rosario Fernandez-Godino
Keyword(s):  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Deposit Formation ◽  
Genetic Ablation ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Complement Dysregulation

AbstractThe complement system plays a role in the formation of sub-retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) deposits in early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But the specific mechanisms that connect complement activation and deposit formation in AMD patients are unknown, which limits the development of efficient therapies to reduce or stop disease progression. We have previously demonstrated that C3 blockage prevents the formation of sub-RPE deposits in a mouse model of EFEMP1-associated macular degeneration. In this study, we have used double mutant Efemp1R345W/R345W:C5-/- mice to investigate the role of C5 in the formation of sub-RPE deposits in vivo and in vitro. The data revealed that the genetic ablation of C5 does not eliminate the formation of sub-RPE deposits. Contrarily, the absence of C5 in RPE cultures promotes complement dysregulation that results in increased activation of C3, which likely contributes to deposit formation even in the absence of EFEMP1-R345W mutant protein. The results also suggest that genetic ablation of C5 alters the extracellular matrix turnover through an effect on matrix metalloproteinases in RPE cell cultures. These results confirm that C3 rather than C5 could be an effective therapeutic target to treat early AMD.

scholarly journals Exacerbation of AMD Phenotype in Lasered CNV Murine Model by Dysbiotic Oral Pathogens

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Pachiappan Arjunan ◽  
Radhika Swaminathan ◽  
Jessie Yuan ◽  
Mohamed Elashiry ◽  
Amany Tawfik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Murine Model ◽  
Retinal Thickness ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Periodontal Pathogen ◽  
Fundus Photography ◽  
Mouse Retina ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Periodontal Infection

Emerging evidence underscores an association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and periodontal disease (PD), yet the biological basis of this linkage and the specific role of oral dysbiosis caused by PD in AMD pathophysiology remains unclear. Furthermore, a simple reproducible model that emulates characteristics of both AMD and PD has been lacking. Hence, we established a novel AMD+PD murine model to decipher the potential role of oral infection (ligature-enhanced) with the keystone periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis, in the progression of neovasculogenesis in a laser-induced choroidal-neovascularization (Li-CNV) mouse retina. By a combination of fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, and fluorescein angiography, we documented inflammatory drusen-like lesions, reduced retinal thickness, and increased vascular leakage in AMD+PD mice retinae. H&E further confirmed a significant reduction of retinal thickness and subretinal drusen-like deposits. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed significant induction of choroidal/retinal vasculogenesis in AMD+PD mice. qPCR identified increased expression of oxidative-stress, angiogenesis, pro-inflammatory mediators, whereas antioxidants and anti-inflammatory genes in AMD+PD mice retinae were notably decreased. Through qPCR, we detected Pg and its fimbrial 16s-RrNA gene expression in the AMD+PD mice retinae. To sum-up, this is the first in vivo study signifying a role of periodontal infection in augmentation of AMD phenotype, with the aid of a pioneering AMD+PD murine model established in our laboratory.

scholarly journals FHL-1 interacts with human RPE cells through the α5β1 integrin and confers protection against oxidative stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rawshan Choudhury ◽  
Nadhim Bayatti ◽  
Richard Scharff ◽  
Ewa Szula ◽  
Viranga Tilakaratna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Factor H ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Bruch's Membrane ◽  
Bruch’S Membrane ◽  
Rpe Cells ◽  
Age Related

AbstractRetinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells that underlie the neurosensory retina are essential for the maintenance of photoreceptor cells and hence vision. Interactions between the RPE and their basement membrane, i.e. the inner layer of Bruch’s membrane, are essential for RPE cell health and function, but the signals induced by Bruch’s membrane engagement, and their contributions to RPE cell fate determination remain poorly defined. Here, we studied the functional role of the soluble complement regulator and component of Bruch’s membrane, Factor H-like protein 1 (FHL-1). Human primary RPE cells adhered to FHL-1 in a manner that was eliminated by either mutagenesis of the integrin-binding RGD motif in FHL-1 or by using competing antibodies directed against the α5 and β1 integrin subunits. These short-term experiments reveal an immediate protein-integrin interaction that were obtained from primary RPE cells and replicated using the hTERT-RPE1 cell line. Separate, longer term experiments utilising RNAseq analysis of hTERT-RPE1 cells bound to FHL-1, showed an increased expression of the heat-shock protein genes HSPA6, CRYAB, HSPA1A and HSPA1B when compared to cells bound to fibronectin (FN) or laminin (LA). Pathway analysis implicated changes in EIF2 signalling, the unfolded protein response, and mineralocorticoid receptor signalling as putative pathways. Subsequent cell survival assays using H2O2 to induce oxidative stress-induced cell death suggest hTERT-RPE1 cells had significantly greater protection when bound to FHL-1 or LA compared to plastic or FN. These data show a non-canonical role of FHL-1 in protecting RPE cells against oxidative stress and identifies a novel interaction that has implications for ocular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration.

scholarly journals Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Role of Oxidative Stress and Blood Vessels

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1296
Author(s):  
Yue Ruan ◽  
Subao Jiang ◽  
Adrian Gericke
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Vascular Function ◽  
Vascular Dysfunction ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Age Related

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common irreversible ocular disease characterized by vision impairment among older people. Many risk factors are related to AMD and interact with each other in its pathogenesis. Notably, oxidative stress and choroidal vascular dysfunction were suggested to be critically involved in AMD pathogenesis. In this review, we give an overview on the factors contributing to the pathophysiology of this multifactorial disease and discuss the role of reactive oxygen species and vascular function in more detail. Moreover, we give an overview on therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from AMD.

The role of Aflibercept in the management of age-related macular degeneration

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 699-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Hassan ◽  
Rubbia Afridi ◽  
Mohammad Ali Sadiq ◽  
Mohamed Kamel Soliman ◽  
Aniruddha Agarwal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Age Related
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