Abstract
Purpose :
The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of homocysteine within the human retina with the features of retinal neurodegenerative diseases - age related macular degeneration and glaucoma.
Methods :
10 human eyes from 10 patients (6 female, 4 male, age 57-90) enucleated because of choroidal malignant melanoma were used for this study. 9 globes have features of neurodegenerative diseases. In one eye retina and optic nerve were found to be normal. 5 µm sections including the center of the pupil and the disc were stained using the PAS (periodic acid-Schiff) method and immunohistochemistry method. In immunohistochemical staining anti-homocysteine rabbit polyclonal antibodies (1:50, Abcam, Cambridge, MA) were used.
Results :
Homocysteine immunoreactivity was found in all human retina. It was well pronounced in soft drusen, basal deposits, retinal pigment epithelium presenting abnormal morphology, retinal ganglion cells presenting abnormal morphology and corpora amylacea . In retinal pigment epithelium with normal morphology immunoreactivity of homocysteine was very weak and focal. Hard drusen presented no staining.
Conclusions :
The presence of homocysteine in the human retina with the features of age related macular degeneration and glaucoma suggest that it may be involved in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.