April 2011
Volume 52, Issue 14
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   April 2011
Prevalence Of AMD In A Liver Transplant Cohort
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Sam Khandhadia
    Administrative Office, LD74, MP806, University Of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
  • Andrew J. Lotery
    Ophthalmology - Eye Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships  Sam Khandhadia, None; Andrew J. Lotery, None
  • Footnotes
    Support  TFC Frost Charitable Trust
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science April 2011, Vol.52, 1233. doi:
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      Sam Khandhadia, Andrew J. Lotery; Prevalence Of AMD In A Liver Transplant Cohort. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2011;52(14):1233.

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Abstract
 
Purpose:
 

A cohort of liver transplanted patients was recruited, to investigate whether systemic gene therapy in the form of liver transplant can influence the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Of note, the liver is the predominant site of complement protein production in the body. This includes complement factor H (CFH), a regulator of the alternate complement pathway. Mutations in the CFH gene, have been strongly associated with AMD. The primary study hypothesis is that systemic replacement of a mutated CFH gene with a wild-type copy, via liver transplant, can reduce the risk of developing AMD. The prevalence of AMD in this cohort, is presented.

 
Methods:
 

Patients over 55 years old of Caucasian origin with a history of liver transplantation at least 5 years previously were recruited at 4 specialist liver transplant centres in the UK, over an 18 month period. Dilated fundus examination and photos were taken for AMD grading via a standard scale (Age-Related Eye Disease Study AREDS grading). Bloods were also taken for recipient genotyping, and donor tissue retrieved for donor genotyping.

 
Results:
 

197 patients with gradable eyes have been recruited to date. The mean age (+/- 1 SD) was 66.8 +/- 5.9 years, and the mean duration post liver transplant 11.8 +/- 4.5 years. The prevalence of AMD in either eye (grades 2-5) was 52.7% (see figure 1)

 
Conclusions:
 

This is the first report of the prevalence of AMD in a liver transplant cohort. AMD seems to be more prevalent in this cohort than in the normal population. This may be the result of systemic illness. Alternately receipt of a liver with varying CFH gene status to that originally in the recipient may influence the risk of developing AMD.  

 
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration 
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