title: Retinal pigment epithelium, age-related macular degeneration and neurotrophic             keratouveitis.
abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of impaired             vision and blindness in the aging population. The aims of our studies were to             identify qualitative and quantitative alterations in mitochondria in human retinal             pigment epithelium (RPE) from AMD patients and controls and to test the protective             effects of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a known neurotrophic and             antiangiogenic substance, against neurotrophic keratouveitis. Histopathological             alterations were studied by means of morphometry, light and electron microscopy.             Unexpectedly, morphometric data showed that the RPE alterations noted in AMD may             also develop in normal aging, 10-15 years later than appearing in AMD patients.             Reduced tear secretion, corneal ulceration and leukocytic infiltration were found             in capsaicin (CAP)-treated rats, but this effect was significantly attenuated             by PEDF. These findings suggest that PEDF accelerated the recovery of tear secretion             and also prevented neurotrophic keratouveitis and vitreoretinal inflammation.             PEDF may have a clinical application in inflammatory and neovascular diseases             of the eye.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sensory Organs, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. enrica.bianchi@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scarinci
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ripandelli
authors.forename: Janos
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feher
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pacella
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Magliulo
authors.forename: Corrado Balacco
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Gabrieli
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Plateroti
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plateroti
authors.forename: Fiorenzo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mignini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Artico
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002211:Capsaicin; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000473:pathology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015843:Serpins / Q000378:metabolism; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism; D014605:Uveitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor
chemical_list: D002211:Capsaicin; D005136:Eye Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D015843:Serpins; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor