title: Altered expression of CD46 and CD59 on leukocytes in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of the complement regulatory proteins CD46, CD55, and CD59 on peripheral leukocytes in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five unrelated patients with neovascular AMD and 30 control individuals were included in this case-control study. All participants were subjected to a structured interview and detailed imaging (autofluorescence, digital funduscopy, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography in patients suspected of having neovascular AMD) was performed. Fresh ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid blood was obtained and stained with monoclonal antibodies. Using flow cytometry, the percentage of CD14(+) monocytes, CD45(+) lymphocytes, and CD45(+) granulocytes positive for CD46, CD55, and CD59 was determined in patients with neovascular AMD and was compared with that of controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the expression of CD46 and CD59 was significantly lower on CD14(+) monocytes in patients with neovascular AMD compared with controls (P = .0070). A significantly lower expression of CD46 on lymphocytes was observed in patients with fibrosis compared with patients without fibrosis (P = .010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that neovascular AMD is associated with an inadequate regulation of the complement system, supporting current evidence on the role of complement dysregulation in the pathogenesis of AMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark. asingh@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Amardeep
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Mads
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.forename: Mogens H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nissen
authors.forename: Thomas V F
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Hviid
authors.forename: Torben L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018958:CD55 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D018957:CD59 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: C497857:CD46 protein, human; D018958:CD55 Antigens; D018957:CD59 Antigens; D051916:Membrane Cofactor Protein; C051590:CD59 protein, human