Abstract
Purpose: :
To measure lead and cadmium in the retina of donor eyes with and without age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods: :
Lead and cadmium levels in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid complex and neural retina in 64 normal donor eyes (32 subjects; Minnesota Grading System [MGS] stage 1) and in 44 AMD donor eyes (22 subjects; MGS stages 2-4) were determined by using an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. Differences in metal levels were examined by using Wilcoxan rank-sum tests.
Results: :
Lead in the RPE/choroid complex (mean ± standard deviation, 0.26 ± 0.18 µg/g) and neural retina (0.03 ± 0.05 µg/g) in AMD subjects was not different than in the RPE/choroid complex (0.28 ± 0.23 µg/g, P=0.81) and neural retina (0.01 ± 0.007 µg/g, P=0.05) in control subjects. Cadmium in the RPE/choroid complex (2.12 ± 1.97 µg/g) and neural retina (1.82 ± 2.57 µg/g) in AMD subjects was not different than in the RPE/choroid complex (2.88 ± 1.30 µg/g, P=0.13) and neural retina (1.15 ± 0.84 µg/g, P=0.17) in control subjects.
Conclusions: :
No difference in lead and cadmium in the RPE/choroid complex and neural retina was detected in donor eyes with and without AMD, suggesting that accumulated lead and cadmium is not associated with AMD.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • nutritional factors • oxidation/oxidative or free radical damage