Age-related macular degeneration: Complement in action

Complement inhibitors for age-related macular degeneration.

BACKGROUND Given the relatively high prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the increased incidence of AMD as populations age, the results of trials of novel treatments are awaited with much anticipation. The complement cascade describes a series of proteolytic reactions occurring throughout the body that generate proteins with a variety of roles including the initiation and p...

Zinc Supplementation Inhibits Complement Activation in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

UNLABELLED Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. AMD is a multifactorial disorder but complement-mediated inflammation at the level of the retina plays a pivotal role. Oral zinc supplementation can reduce the progression of AMD but the precise mechanism of this protective effect is as yet unclear. We investigated whether zinc supplementat...

Systemic Complement Activation in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Dysregulation of the alternative pathway (AP) of complement cascade has been implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. To further test the hypothesis that defective control of complement activation underlies AMD, parameters of complement activation in blood plasma were determined together with disease-associated gene...

Correction: Systemic Complement Activation in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Complement factor H polymorphism in age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE To determine the association between complement factor H (CFH) polymorphism T1277C (tyrosine-402 --> histidine-402) and phenotypic variations of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DESIGN Cross-sectional observational study. PARTICIPANTS Subjects with dry or wet AMD and a control population consisting of age-matched non-AMD subjects from 2 clinical facilities examined during the...