An immunologic study on age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

Forty-one patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were detected for serum autoantibodies against normal human retinal protein by means of Western immunoblot analysis. Twenty-seven out of the 41 patients showed positive response, with a rate of 66 per cent. The positive rate of anti-retinal antibody in the AMD patients was significantly higher than that in normal controls (18%) and in patients with other retinal diseases (24%) (p < 0.0005). These antiretinal antibodies from the AMD patients partly reacted with the retinal protein of molecular weight between 28 and 32 Kd, partly with Mr of 38 to 42 Kd, 48 to 52 Kd, 62 to 65 Kd or 110 to 130 Kd. Of them, the antiretinal antibody against the protein with Mr of 28 to 32 Kd in the AMD patients was higher than in normal controls (p < 0.05). Two or more antibodies were found in the serum from AMD patients, showing a significant difference between the patients and the controls (p < 0.005). The results indicated that in the occurrence of AMD and/or during its developing process there were inflammation and immunological response, involving antibodies against retinal proteins of various molecular weight.