Haptoglobin phenotype in age-related macular degeneration patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate a possible role of the haptoglobin phenotype in the development of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in human subjects.


METHODS
Prospective, observational, comparative population study.


METHODS
The study was carried out in an institutional setting. All patients referred because of exudative AMD in one eye during an 18-month period were included in the study group. A group of patients treated for other ocular diseases and not having AMD in either eye served as control. Haptoglobin phenotype was determined from a blood sample drawn from each patient in both the study and control groups. The main outcome measure was the distribution of the haptoglobin phenotype in the study and control group.


RESULTS
One hundred eighty-five participants were included in the study. Ninety-eight had exudative AMD, and 87 were AMD-free. The difference between the study and control groups in distribution of the haptoglobin phenotype was found to be statistically insignificant.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the haptoglobin phenotype has no effect on the prevalence of exudative AMD.
Alberto Moscona Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel, Israel.
Nir
N
Seider
Itzchak
I
Beiran
Rachel
R
Miller-Lotan
Dalia
D
Dori
Jacob
J
Karp
Benjamin
B
Miller
Andrew P
AP
Levy
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies
D006242:Haptoglobins