Age-related macular degeneration and coronary heart disease: evaluation of genetic and environmental associations.

An association between coronary heart disease (CHD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has long been postulated but results from epidemiological case-control studies, and genetic analyses have been ambiguous. In this study we illuminate the association between AMD and CHD with respect to genetic and environmental risk factors, age of disease onset and AMD subgroups. AMD patients (n = 1036) and age-matched control subjects (n = 412) between 68 and 95 years of age were included in the case-control study.

Modelling the genetic risk in age-related macular degeneration.

Late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common sight-threatening disease of the central retina affecting approximately 1 in 30 Caucasians. Besides age and smoking, genetic variants from several gene loci have reproducibly been associated with this condition and likely explain a large proportion of disease. Here, we developed a genetic risk score (GRS) for AMD based on 13 risk variants from eight gene loci.

A subgroup of age-related macular degeneration is associated with mono-allelic sequence variants in the ABCA4 gene.

Purpose. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a heterogeneous condition of high prevalence and complex etiology involving genetic as well as environmental factors. By fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging, AMD can be classified into several distinct phenotypes, with one subgroup characterized by fine granular pattern with peripheral punctate spots (GPS[+]).

Complement factor H genetic variant and age-related macular degeneration: effect size, modifiers and relationship to disease subtype.

Background: Variation in the complement factor H gene (CFH) is associated with risk of late age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Previous studies have been case-control studies in populations of European ancestry with little differentiation in AMD subtype, and insufficient power to confirm or refute effect modification by smoking.

Methods: To precisely quantify the association of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP rs1061170, 'Y402H') with risk of AMD among studies with differing study designs, participant ancestry and AMD grade and to investigate effect modification by smoking, we report two unpublished genetic association studies (n = 2759) combined with data from 24 published studies (26 studies, 26,494 individuals, including 14,174 cases of AMD) of European ancestry, 10 of which provided individual-level data used to test gene-smoking interaction; and 16 published studies from non-European ancestry.

Complement regulation at necrotic cell lesions is impaired by the age-related macular degeneration-associated factor-H His402 risk variant.

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading form of blindness in Western countries and is associated with a common SNP (rs 1061170/Y402H) in the Factor H gene, which encodes the two complement inhibitors Factor H and FHL1. However, the functional consequences of this Tyr(402) His exchange in domain 7 are not precisely defined. In this study, we show that the Tyr(402) His sequence variation affects Factor H surface recruitment by monomeric C-reactive protein (mCRP) to specific patches on the surface of necrotic retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Evidence of association of APOE with age-related macular degeneration: a pooled analysis of 15 studies.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of incurable visual impairment in high-income countries. Previous studies report inconsistent associations between AMD and apolipoprotein E (APOE), a lipid transport protein involved in low-density cholesterol modulation. Potential interaction between APOE and sex, and smoking status has been reported.

Age-related macular degeneration with discordant late stage phenotypes in monozygotic twins.

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. Monozygotic twins with late stage AMD provide an opportunity to evaluate the role of environmental factors on a genetically uniform background.

Methods: Monozygosity was determined in four twin pairs by genotyping 15 highly polymorphic tetranucleotide repeat markers.

Variations in apolipoprotein E frequency with age in a pooled analysis of a large group of older people.

Variation in the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) has been reported to be associated with longevity in humans. The authors assessed the allelic distribution of APOE isoforms ε2, ε3, and ε4 among 10,623 participants from 15 case-control and cohort studies of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in populations of European ancestry (study dates ranged from 1990 to 2009). The authors included only the 10,623 control subjects from these studies who were classified as having no evidence of AMD, since variation within the APOE gene has previously been associated with AMD.

An imbalance of human complement regulatory proteins CFHR1, CFHR3 and factor H influences risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

A frequent deletion of complement factor H (CFH)-related genes CFHR3 and CFHR1 (ΔCFHR3/CFHR1) is considered to have a protective effect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), although the underlying mechanism remains elusive. The deletion seems to be linked to one of the two protective CFH haplotypes which are both tagged by the protective allele of single nucleotide polymorphism rs2274700 (CFH:A473A). In a German cohort of 530 AMD patients, we now show that protection against AMD conferred by ΔCFHR3/CFHR1 is independent of the effects of rs2274700 and rs1061170 (CFH:Y402H).

CFH, C3 and ARMS2 are significant risk loci for susceptibility but not for disease progression of geographic atrophy due to AMD.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prevalent cause of blindness in Western societies. Variants in the genes encoding complement factor H (CFH), complement component 3 (C3) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) have repeatedly been shown to confer significant risks for AMD; however, their role in disease progression and thus their potential relevance for interventional therapeutic approaches remains unknown.

Methodology/principal Findings: Here, we analyzed association between variants in CFH, C3 and ARMS2 and disease progression of geographic atrophy (GA) due to AMD.

Age-related macular degeneration and functional promoter and coding variants of the apolipoprotein E gene.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a frequent, multifactorial disease of the central retina and a major cause of irreversible vision loss in industrialized countries. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been consistently associated with AMD, particularly its two functional isoforms E2 (predisposing) and E4 (protective). The biological correlate of this association, however, is still unclear.

Age-related macular degeneration is associated with an unstable ARMS2 (LOC387715) mRNA.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prevalent multifactorial disorder of the central retina. Genetic variants at two chromosomal loci, 1q31 and 10q26, confer major disease risks, together accounting for more than 50% of AMD pathology. Signals at 10q26 center over two nearby genes, ARMS2 (age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2, also known as LOC387715) and HTRA1 (high-temperature requirement factor A1), suggesting two equally probable candidates.

Defective complement control of factor H (Y402H) and FHL-1 in age-related macular degeneration.

The common variant in the human complement Factor H gene (CFH), with Tyr402His, is linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a prevalent disorder leading to visual impairment and irreversible blindness in elderly patients. Here we show that the risk variant CFH 402His displays reduced binding to C reactive protein (CRP), heparin and retinal pigment epithelial cells. This reduced binding can cause inefficient complement regulation at the cell surface, particularly when CRP is recruited to injured sites and tissue.

An update on the genetics of age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a genetically complex disorder of the photoreceptor-RPE-Bruch's membrane-choriocapillaris complex. Family and twin studies have shown that the susceptibility for this disease is genetically influenced. The heritability has been estimated to be up to 71%.

Case-control genetic association study of fibulin-6 (FBLN6 or HMCN1) variants in age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

This article reports a well-powered age-related macular degeneration (AMD) case-control association study in the HMCN1 gene, showing that common variants do not account for a substantial proportion of AMD cases. Thus, the consistent linkage peak observed by several genome-wide linkage scans within the 1q32 region is unlikely to be attributed to polymorphisms at the HMCN1 locus. In addition, the analysis provides comprehensive data suggesting that low-frequency variants encoding possible functional amino acid polymorphisms in the HMCN1 gene may not contribute substantially to disease, although HMCN1 mutations may still confer disease susceptibility in a small subset of patients.

Late-onset central areolar choroidal dystrophy caused by a heterozygous frame-shift mutation affecting codon 307 of the peripherin/RDS gene.

Mutations in the peripherin/RDS gene have been identified in families with various retinopathies including those affecting primarily the macula and those restricted to the retinal periphery. Here, we describe the clinical findings of two sisters with late-onset central areolar choroidal dystrophy (CACD). The two siblings underwent genetic testing and were found to be carriers of a heterozygous frame-shift mutation 920delT affecting codon 307 of the peripherin/RDS gene and resulting in a truncated, likely functionless, protein with an altered C-terminus (Leu307fsX83).

Near-infrared autofluorescence imaging of the fundus: visualization of ocular melanin.

Purpose: To evaluate the origin of the near-infrared autofluorescence (AF) of the fundus detected by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and compare the distribution of this AF with that of lipofuscin.

Methods: AF [787] fundus images (excitation [Exc.] 787 nm; emission [Emi.

Clinical findings in a multigeneration family with autosomal dominant central areolar choroidal dystrophy associated with an Arg195Leu mutation in the peripherin/RDS gene.

Objective: To characterize clinical findings associated with a mutation in codon 195 (Arg195Leu) of the peripherin/RDS gene in a large multigeneration family of European decent.

Methods: Sixteen members from 2 generations underwent ophthalmologic examination, including best-corrected visual acuity, examination of the anterior segments, and inspection of the ocular fundus after pharmacologic mydriasis. All affected family members underwent Farnsworth Panel-D15 color testing.

Bimodal spatial distribution of macular pigment: evidence of a gender relationship.

The spatial distribution of the optical density of the human macular pigment measured by two-wavelength autofluorescence imaging exhibits in over half of the subjects an annulus of higher density superimposed on a central exponential-like distribution. This annulus is located at about 0.7 degrees from the fovea.

Hypothetical LOC387715 is a second major susceptibility gene for age-related macular degeneration, contributing independently of complement factor H to disease risk.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disease and a prevalent cause of visual impairment in developed countries. Risk factors include environmental components and genetic determinants. The complement factor H (CFH) has been the first major susceptibility gene for AMD identified within 1q32.

Classification of fundus autofluorescence patterns in early age-related macular disease.

Purpose: To describe and classify patterns of abnormal fundus autofluorescence (FAF) in eyes with early nonexudative age-related macular disease (AMD).

Methods: FAF images were recorded in eyes with early AMD by confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) with excitation at 488 nm (argon or OPSL laser) and emission above 500 or 521 nm (barrier filter). A standardized protocol for image acquisition and generation of mean images after automated alignment was applied, and routine fundus photographs were obtained.