title: Is asthma related to choroidal neovascularization?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Age-related degeneration (AMD) and asthma are both diseases that are related to the activation of the complement system. The association between AMD and asthma has been debated in previous studies. The authors investigated the relationship between AMD and asthma systemically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The epidemiological study showed that asthma was related to choroidal neovascularization (CNV) subtype (OR = 1.721, P = 0.023). However, the meta-analysis showed there was no association between AMD and asthma. In an animal model, we found more fluoresce in leakage of CNV lesions by FA analysis and more angiogenesis by histological analysis in rats with asthma. Western blot demonstrated an elevated level of C3α-chain, C3α'-chain and VEGF. After compstatin was intravitreally injected, CNV leakage decreased according to FA analysis, with the level of C3 and VEGF protein decreasing at the same time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study first investigated the relationship between AMD and asthma systematically, and it was found that asthma could be a risk factor for the development of AMD. The study may provide a better understanding of the disease, which may advance the potential for screening asthma patients in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yaoyao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wenzhen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Lvzhen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Peihua
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Mingwei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiaoxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D015926:Complement C3a / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D051381:Rats; D012307:Risk Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D015926:Complement C3a