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Review
. 2014:801:283-9.
doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-3209-8_36.

Is age-related macular degeneration a microvascular disease?

Robert F Mullins  1 , Aditi Khanna, Desi P Schoo, Budd A Tucker, Elliott H Sohn, Arlene V Drack, Edwin M Stone
Affiliations
Review

Is age-related macular degeneration a microvascular disease?

Robert F Mullins et al. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2014.

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common, degenerative disease of the central retina affecting millions of elderly in the USA alone and many more worldwide. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of AMD will be essential for developing new treatments. In this review, we discuss the potential impact of complement complex deposition at the choriocapillaris of aging eyes and the relationship between choriocapillaris loss and drusen formation. We further propose a model that integrates genetic and anatomical findings in AMD and suggest the implications of these findings for future therapies.

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Figures

Figure 36.1
Figure 36.1
(A) The choriocapillaris is the main site of MAC deposition in the macula (green fluorescence); red fluorescence is UEA-I lectin. RPE lipofuscin appears orange. The asterisk indicates a choriocapillaris ghost vessel. (B) Relationship between choriocapillaris endothelial cell density (open squares, maroon dashed trendline), RPE height (closed diamonds, blue solid trendline) and drusen density. Note that eyes with the lowest vascular density had the largest and most numerous drusen. Modified from [20]; copyright held by ARVO.
Figure 36.2.
Figure 36.2.
Model for AMD pathogenesis. Please see text for details.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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