The role of complement system and other inflammatory factors in the development of age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

The article is a review of literature on the role of complement system and inflammatory factors in the development of age-related macular degeneration. The review uses materials of domestic and foreign researchers. The clinical characteristics of age-related macular degeneration are presented, the role of genetic factors, complement factors, biomarkers of inflammation and alternative pathway of complement activation in the pathogenesis and risk of age-related macular degeneration is determined. Age-related macular degeneration is a chronic progressive multifactorial disease that affects macular area of the retina and is the main cause of loss of central vision in patients of older age group. The most important genetic factors are chromosome 1 (1q32) including complement factor H and complement factor H related genes and chromosome 10 (10q31). Variants associated with a moderate effect on developmental risk were identified in C3, complement factor I and complement factor B genes. In the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration, the key role is played by the damaged regulation of the alternative complement pathway. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in complement genes that affect the risk of development of age-related macular degeneration are predominantly involved in the alternative pathway of activation of the complement system. In pathomorphological studies, the initial localization of the pathological process of this pathology was established to be a complex of retinal pigment epithelium, Bruch’s membrane, and choriocapillaries followed by loss of photoreceptor function. The review of studies of systemic inflammatory biomarkers, cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factors in peripheral blood, blood serum, aqueous humour at various stages and forms of age-related macular degeneration is presented.