Abstract
Purpose :
Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) has been reported to occur in women during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. In addition, corticosteroids are a known risk factor for CSC. Hence, the elevation of maternal sex steroids levels (e.g., progesterone, estradiol), which resembles the corticosteroids structure, during pregnancy could be involved in the pathogenesis of CSC. Here, we describe the immunolocalization of sex-steroid receptors in the human eye tissue from pre-menopausal women, post-menopausal women, and age-matched men.
Methods :
The paraffin-embedded enucleated eyes of 14 pre-menopausal women (25 – 40 years old), 15 post-menopausal women (> 60 years old), and a total of 20 samples of age-matched men were obtained from the department of Pathology in LUMC. Eyes with intraocular tumors and previously irradiated eyes were excluded. A standard immunohistochemistry staining for clinical diagnosis was performed to detect the presence of androgen receptor (AR), progesterone receptor (PR – α and β), or estrogen receptor (ER - α). The stained slides were scored by quantifying the positive-stained nuclei of the endothelial cells and the stromal cells in the choroidal vasculature - irrespective of staining intensity. The score was re-evaluated by an ophthalmic pathologist, who was unaware of the group.
Results :
Our analysis showed that AR, PR, and ERα were present in the endothelial cells and non-pigmented stromal cells of the choroidal vessel, including in the choriocapillaris and the deeper layers (Haller’s and Sattler’s). In endothelial cells, AR was the most abundant and followed by ERα and PR in the premenopausal group, but not in the postmenopausal or matched controls. The postmenopausal group showed a higher ratio of positive-stained EC/stromal for AR, ER, and PR than premenopausal group. Positive-stained nuclei of AR were also detected in the sclera, but not in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In contrast, ERα and PR were both detected in the retina and RPE, but not in the sclera.
Conclusions :
The presence of the sex-steroid receptors in the choroidal vasculature may indicate their involvement in its permeability regulation. The ratio of sex-steroid receptors differs in women, especially in young and older age, which may be implicated in the likelihood of CSC development in these different stages of life.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.