title: Age-related macular degeneration is associated with increased proportion of CD56(+) T cells in peripheral blood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between age-related changes in the T-cell compartment and prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 117 AMD cases and 106 controls were included prospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fresh-drawn peripheral blood samples were processed for flow cytometric analysis of T-cell populations. Plasma samples were analyzed for anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunoglobulin (Ig)G and complement factor H (CFH) Y402H genotype. The diagnosis of AMD was made according to the Clinical Age-Related Maculopathy Staging System.
  
  
  METHODS
  Association between frequency of aged T cells and prevalence of AMD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of AMD was associated with distinct age-related changes in the T-cell compartment. Specifically, the patients with AMD had an increased frequency of CD28(-) T cells that expressed the CD56 surface marker (patients, 34.9% vs. aged controls, 25.8%; P = 0.002). Participants in the highest tertile of CD56(+) CD28(-) T cells had an odds ratio (OR) for the presence of AMD of 3.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-8.8) after adjustment for CFH genotype, anti-CMV IgG positivity, age, sex, and smoking history. The adjusted OR of the presence of AMD for persons having at least 1 CFH H402 risk allele increased from 3.5 (95% CI, 1.5-8.1) to 13.3 (95% CI, 3.3-53.6) for persons with at least 1 CFH H402 risk allele and above the median level of CD56(+) CD28(-) T cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found increased levels of circulating aged CD56(+) CD28(-) T cells in patients with AMD. Although this supports the notion of AMD as a systemic disease, it also suggests that the adaptive immune system is implicated in its pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: carstenfaber@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Amardeep
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Mads
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krüger Falk
authors.forename: Helene Bæk
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Juel
authors.forename: Torben Lykke
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Mogens Holst
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nissen
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017242:Complement Factor H / Q000235:genetics; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019002:CD56 Antigen; C493495:CFH protein, human; C522918:NCAM1 protein, human; D017242:Complement Factor H