title: Association between oxidative stress and macromolecular damage in elderly patients with age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to determine whether age and gender affect the imbalance between oxidant production and antioxidant levels in age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), total glutathione peroxidase (T-GSHPx), and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PC), 8-Hydroxy-29-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and total oxidation status (TOS) levels, were measured in the following groups subdivided by age and gender: 156 early-ARMD patients; 80 wet-late ARMD patients; 72 dry-late ARMD patients; and 207 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among all study participants, women aged 50-54 had higher T-SOD and T-GSHPx activities and lower MDA, PC, TOS and 8-OHdG levels than age-matched men (p<0.05), whereas older women were not significantly different from agematched older men. Significantly increased oxidative damage was associated with ARMD patients >60 years of age in both sexes compared with controls (p<0.01 for 60-64 and 65-69-year-old ARMD subgroups; p<0.001 for 70-74 and 75-80-year-old ARMD subgroups). Multiple regression analysis demonstrates that age significantly affects antioxidant status and oxidative damage in ARMD patients compared with controls (controls, p<0.05; ARMD patients, p<0.001). A direct correlation with antioxidant enzyme activities and an inverse correlation with oxidative DNA, protein and lipid damage were also observed in premenopausal women (controls, p<0.05; ARMD patients, plt;0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aging and postmenopausal status may be aggravating factors contributing to redox imbalance and oxidative damage in ARMD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Specialities, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria G. Martino, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Venza
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Visalli
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cucinotta
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Teti
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venza
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D000094765:Glutathione Peroxidase GPX1
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000094765:Glutathione Peroxidase GPX1; C000722067:GPX1 protein, human