title: Local complement activation in aqueous humor in patients with age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: PurposeTo investigate complement activation in aqueous humor and in plasma of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).Patients and methodsAqueous humor and EDTA-plasma of 31 nAMD patients and 30 age-matched controls was collected. The levels of the complement factor 3 (C3), the regulators factor H (FH), and factor I (FI), and of the complement activation products Ba, C3a, and the terminal complement complex (sC5b-9) were measured. Associations between complement levels and phenotype were determined using Mann-Whitney U-test.ResultsIn plasma, no significant differences were found between the nAMD group and the control group. In aqueous humor, significantly increased levels of Ba (P=0.002), and C3a (P=0.002) indicate local complement activation in nAMD patients and a trend for a concomitant upregulation of the complement regulators FH (P=0.02) and FI (P=0.04).ConclusionsOur findings provide strong evidence for a local complement dysregulation in nAMD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schick
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steinhauer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aslanidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Altay
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karlstetter
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Langmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirschfink
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fauser
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003167:Complement Activation; D017242:Complement Factor H / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C493495:CFH protein, human; D017242:Complement Factor H