Complement activation products in tears of dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction.

Sixty-seven patients (38 woman; median age, 69 years) were enrolled to assess complement activation products (CAPs) in tear fluid with/without dry eye (DE) and with/without meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Patients were divided into four groups based on the presence/absence of DE and MGD: group DM had both DE and MGD, group DN had DE without MGD, group NM had MGD without DE, and group NN had neither DE nor MGD. The levels of C3a and C5a in the collected tears were analyzed using a cytometric bead array.

Tear fluid and complement activation products in tears after ocular surgery.

Purpose: Due to technological advancements, surgical invasiveness has been reduced. However, cataract surgery has been implicated in causing postoperative inflammation, including dry eye syndrome. The innate immune system may be involved in postoperative inflammation, and complement activation could potentially play a crucial role in defense against pathogens, homeostasis, and wound healing.

Age-Related Maculopathy Susceptibility 2 and Complement Factor H Polymorphism and Intraocular Complement Activation in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: To investigate the association of risk alleles in complement factor H (CFH) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) with complement activation products in the aqueous humor in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) including polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP), and pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV).

Design: Prospective, comparative, observational study.

Participants: Treatment-naïve patients with nAMD and cataract patients as controls.

The complex formation of MASP-3 with pattern recognition molecules of the lectin complement pathway retains MASP-3 in the circulation.

The complement system plays an important role in host defense and is activated three different activation pathways. We have previously reported that mannose-binding lectin-associated serine protease (MASP)-3, unlike its splicing variant MASP-1, circulates in an active form and is essential for the activation of the alternative pathway (AP) the activation of complement factor D (FD). On the other hand, like MASP-1 and MASP-2 of the lectin pathway (LP), MASP-3 forms a complex with the pattern recognition molecules (PRMs) of the LP (LP-PRMs).

Changes in complement activation products after anti-VEGF injection for choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration and pachychoroid disease.

We evaluated changes in the complement system resulting from anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in eyes with age-related choroidal neovascularization (CNV) including neovascular age-related macular degeneration, pachychoroid neovasculopathy, and polypoidal choroidal neovasculopathy. We measured the concentrations of the complement activation products (C3a, C4a), VEGF, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in the aqueous humor during intravitreal anti-VEGF injections for CNV. The VEGF level decreased significantly (P < 0.

Complement Activation Products and Cytokines in Pachychoroid Neovasculopathy and Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: To investigate the characteristics of complement activation products and angiogenic cytokines in the aqueous humor in eyes with pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods: This was a prospective, comparative, observational study. All patients with choroidal neovascularization were classified as PNV without polyps, PNV with polyps (polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy [PCV]), or drusen-associated nAMD according to the presence or absence of pachychoroid features and soft drusen.

Anaphylatoxin concentration in aqueous and vitreous humor in the eyes with vitreoretinal interface abnormalities.

The complement system may be activated in the posterior segment of the eye with chorioretinal disease, which may be reflected to the concentration of anaphylatoxins in the aqueous humor. Little is known about the distribution of anaphylatoxins in the aqueous and vitreous humor. The aim of the present study was to investigate the distribution of anaphylatoxin concentration in the aqueous and vitreous humor of the eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane or idiopathic macular hole.

A novel complement inhibitor sMAP-FH targeting both the lectin and alternative complement pathways.

Inhibition of the complement activation has emerged as an option for treatment of a range of diseases. Activation of the lectin and alternative pathways (LP and AP, respectively) contribute to the deterioration of conditions in certain diseases such as ischemia-reperfusion injuries and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In the current study, we generated dual complement inhibitors of the pathways MAp44-FH and sMAP-FH by fusing full-length MAp44 or small mannose-binding lectin-associated protein (sMAP), LP regulators, with the N-terminal five short consensus repeat (SCR) domains of complement factor H (SCR1/5-FH), an AP regulator.

Evidence for Activation of Lectin and Classical Pathway Complement Components in Aqueous Humor of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: The complement system is activated via 3 different pathways; the lectin pathway (LP), classical pathway (CP), and alternative pathway. To investigate the possible roles for the LP or CP in the development of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), we compared aqueous humor levels of complement proteins of the LP and CP between eyes with nAMD and those with cataract as controls.

Methods: Seventeen eyes from 17 patients with treatment-naïve nAMD and 9 eyes from 9 patients with cataract were studied.

Cutting Edge: Role of MASP-3 in the Physiological Activation of Factor D of the Alternative Complement Pathway.

The complement system, a part of the innate immune system, can be activated via three different pathways. In the alternative pathway, a factor D (FD) plays essential roles in both the initiation and the amplification loop and circulates as an active form. Mannose-binding lectin-associated serine proteases (MASPs) are key enzymes of the lectin pathway, and MASP-1 and/or MASP-3 are reported to be involved in the activation of FD.

An adult patient with Henoch-Schönlein purpura and non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia.

Background: Onset of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in middle age is uncommon, and adults with renal or gastrointestinal involvement present with more severe disease than do similar pediatric patients.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a 69-year-old male with HSP who, after treatment with steroids, cyclophosphamide, and continuous intravenous prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), died as a result of severe gastrointestinal involvement with non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI). Vascular narrowing associated with the NOMI improved after catheter injection of PGE1 and prednisolone, but the patient died of bleeding from an exposed small vessel.