title: Elevated Plasma Pentraxin3 Levels and Its Association with Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate pentraxin3 (PTX3) levels in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (N-ARMD) and to investigate its role as a predictive biomarker.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty individuals with N-ARMD and 30 controls without N-ARMD were studied. Plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and PTX3 were measured in frozen samples using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PTX3 concentration was 1341 ± 625 pg/mL (mean ± standard deviation) in N-ARMD patients, which was significantly higher than in control subjects (887 ± 478, p = 0.003). The mean CRP level was also significantly higher in N-ARMD (2121 ± 2300) than in control (748 ± 618, p = 0.004). Pearson's correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between PTX3 and CRP (r = 0.407, p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support the role of chronic inflammation in the development of ARMD. They also show PTX3 may contribute to efforts to understand pathogenesis of N-ARMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine , Ulsan , Republic of Korea and.
authors.forename: Jung Kee
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Jaehong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Je Moon
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Woo
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins
keywords: Age-related macular degeneration; C-reactive protein; biomarker; inflammation; pentraxin3