title: Abundance of infiltrating CD163+ cells in the retina of postmortem eyes with dry and neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prior research in animal models has suggested that retinal macrophages play an important role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but studies have insufficiently characterized the distribution of retinal macrophages in various stages of human AMD.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case series, we analyzed H&E, periodic acid-Schiff, and CD163 and CD68 immunostained slides from 56 formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded autopsy eyes of patients over age 75: 11 age-matched, normal eyes, and 45 AMD eyes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Qualitative analysis of the macula and retinal periphery revealed that all eyes contained a significant number of CD163+ cells but a negligible number of CD68+ cells. In normal eyes and eyes with thin or infrequent basal laminar deposits, CD163+ cells were restricted to the inner retina. In contrast, in AMD eyes with thick basal deposits, choroidal neovascular membranes, and geographic atrophy, qualitatively there was a marked increase in the number and size of the CD163+ cells in the outer retina, sub-retinal, and sub-retinal pigment epithelium space in the macula.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The changes in number and localization of retinal CD163+ cells in eyes with intermediate-severe AMD support a key role for macrophages in the pathogenesis and progression of the disease. A larger, quantitative study evaluating the distribution of macrophage subpopulations in postmortem AMD eyes is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC 3802, Durham, NC, 27710, USA. nora.lad@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Eleonora M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lad
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC 3802, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Scott W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cousins
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Van Arnam
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC 3802, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.|Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Proia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000378:metabolism*; D001344:Autopsy; D005260:Female; D057092:Geographic Atrophy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000098902:CD163 Antigen; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger; D000098902:CD163 Antigen; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
keywords: Age related-macular degeneration; Histopathology; Inflammation; Macrophages; Postmortem eyes