Abstract
Purpose:
To determine whether the lens status (lens opacities, lens extraction with PC IOL) is associated with differences in macular pigment optical density measured with the two wavelength autofluorescence method.
Methods:
963 residents of Bordeaux (France), aged 73 years or more, were included in 2006-2008. About 18 months later, a complementary eye examination was proposed to all subjects diagnosed with early ARM at baseline, and an equal number of subjects without early ARM. It included a measurement of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) using two wavelength autofluorescence method (Modified HRA I, Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany). Lens opacities were graded at slit lamp according to the LOCSII methodology. Nuclear cataract was defined as NO grade greater than 3 and/or NC grade greater than 3. Cortical cataract was defined as C grade greater or equal to 0.5. Posterior subcapsular cataract was defined as P grade greater or equal to 0.3. Among 395 included subjects, we excluded 66 subjects with late age-related macular degeneration and 93 subjects with other macular diseases (macular hole, retinal occlusion, myopic maculopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, laser scars, epiretinal membranes …) and 30 subjects using dietary supplements containing lutein and zeaxanthin. Among the remaining 206 subjects, 181 subjects (321 eyes) had complete data for lens opacities and macular pigment measurements. Associations of MPOD with lens status were estimated using multivariate mixed linear regression models, taking into account data from both eyes and their intra-individual correlations.
Results:
After adjustment for age and gender, MPOD within 0.5° was higher in eyes having undergone lens extraction ( +0.071 optical density units, p=0.002) and lower in eyes with nuclear cataract (-0.19 optical density units, p=0.0001), but was not different according to cortical or posterior subcapsular opacities. Similarly, MPOD with 1° was higher in eyes having undergone lens extraction (+0.069 optical density units, p=0.001) and lower in eye with nuclear cataract (-0.15 optical density units, p=0.001).
Conclusions:
Lens status appears to affect macular pigment optical density measured using the two wavelength autofluorescence method.
Keywords: 587 macular pigment •
412 age-related macular degeneration •
464 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment