Abstract
Purpose: :
To investigate a possible association between blood concentrations of total homocysteine (tHcy) and aqueous humor concentrations of extracellular soluble receptor for advanced glycated end products (esRAGE) with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods: :
We examined patients with dry (n = 38) and wet AMD (n = 31). Diagnosis was confirmed by funduscopy, optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography. Controls were patients with senile cataract (n = 48). Concentrations of tHcy, its metabolic products and vitamin B markers were measured in blood of 117 patients. Aqueous humor concentrations of esRAGE were measured in 77 patients.
Results: :
Mean concentrations of plasma tHcy and aqueous humor esRAGE did not differ significantly between the groups. A significant negative correlation was found in controls between tHcy and esRAGE (r = -0.483, p = 0.006).
Conclusions: :
Our study found no significant difference in esRAGE and tHcy concentrations between AMD patients and controls. Our outcomes could not support the protective role of B-vitamins from AMD. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of B-vitamins in age-related eye diseases.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration