title: Identification of glycosaminoglycans in age-related macular deposits.
abstract: We investigated the presence and localization of glycosaminoglycans in basal laminar deposit and drusen in age-related maculopathy. Conventional histological staining techniques and monoclonal antibodies specific for several glycosaminoglycans were used on paraffin-embedded human maculae. Furthermore, macular homogenates were analyzed with two-dimensional electrophoresis. Quantitative analysis of glycosaminoglycans was done spectrophotometrically using dimethylmethylene blue. Immunohistochemically, all basal laminar deposit stained positive for chondroitin 4-sulfate and focally positive for heparan sulfate proteoglycan. Drusen were not stained with any of the monoclonal antibodies. With two-dimensional electrophoresis, it was demonstrated that macular extracts with and without age-related maculopathy contained chondroitin sulfate. Heparan sulfate was only expressed in maculae with age-related maculopathy. The total amount of glycosaminoglycans was significantly higher in maculae with basal laminar deposit than in maculae without basal laminar deposit (P = .001). There were significant differences in the amount and composition of glycosaminoglycans between maculae with and without age-related maculopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Opthalmology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kliffen
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mooy
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Luider
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Huijmans
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kerkvliet
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: de Jong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000423:Alcian Blue; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015593:Retinal Drusen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D000423:Alcian Blue