title: Systemic frequencies of T helper 1 and T helper 17 cells in patients with age-related macular degeneration: A case-control study.
abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative disease of the retina and a leading cause of irreversible vision loss. We investigated the systemic differences in the frequency of T helper (Th) 1 and Th17 cells in patients with non-exudative and exudative AMD and compared to age-matched controls. Flow cytometry was used to determine the systemic frequency of Th1 (CD4+CXCR3+IL12RB2+) and Th17 (CD4+CCR6+IL23R+) cells, and percentage of CD4+T-cells expressing CXCR3, IL12RB2, CCR6, IL23R, and co-expressing CXCR3 and CCR6. The frequency of Th1 cells and CXCR3+CD4+T-cells was lower in patients with exudative AMD. A significant age-dependent decrement in Th1 was observed in controls, but not in non-exudative or exudative AMD. This may be related to the CXCR3+CD4+T-cells, which showed similar pattern in controls, but not in non-exudative or exudative AMD. No significant group differences were observed for the frequency of Th17 cells. Correlation networks found several differences between controls and AMD. These data suggests the involvement of the adaptive immune system in AMD and supports the notion of AMD as a systemic disease. Our observations warrant further investigation into the role of the adaptive immune system in the pathogenesis of AMD.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Eye Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.|Department of Ophthalmology, Skåne University Hospital Malmö-Lund, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Amardeep
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Clinical Eye Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.|Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Yousif
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6620-5365
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Subhi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Eye Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.|Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krogh Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Clinical Eye Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mads Krüger
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sara Maj Hyldig
authors.initials: SMH
authors.lastname: Matzen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, National University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Finn
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sellebjerg
authors.affiliation: Clinical Eye Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark. tlso@regionsjaelland.dk.|Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. tlso@regionsjaelland.dk.
authors.forename: Torben Lykke
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers