Abstract
Risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been thought to be associated with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). In this study, 84 unrelated patients with ARMD underwent analysis of serum lipids, lipoparticles, and apolipoproteins (apo) compared with age-and sex-matched control subjects. Serum lipid concentrations were enzymatically determined, apolipoprotein levels by kinetic nephelometry, and lipoparticles by electroimmunodiffusion. Results showed no difference in total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, high- and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (IHDL-C and LDL-C) concentrations between the patients with ARMD and control subjects. Apolipoproteins E and LpE non-B concentrations were found to be higher in serum from patients than in serum from controls. In contrast, ApoC-III and LpC-III non-B concentrations were lower in serum from patients than in serum from control subjects. The main differences observed between ARMD patients and controls were in ApoE, ApoC-III, LpC-III non-B, and LpE non-B concentrations. These lipoparticles belong to the HDL family, which is considered to consist of anti-atherogenic lipoproteins. These results raise the possibility that cardiovascular risk factors are not associated with ARMD, and ARMD may be related to HDL metabolism.—Hans E. Grossniklaus
Published Version
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