Is age-related macular degeneration associated with serum lipoprotein and lipoparticle levels?

The etiology of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is poorly understood. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been thought to be associated with ARMD. Our purpose was to measure the concentration of atherogenic apolipoproteins (apo) and lipoparticles in serum from ARMD patients.

We analyzed lipids, lipoparticles and apolipoproteins concentrations in 84 unrelated patients with ARMD and compared the results with those of age- and sex-matched control subjects (n=62). Serum lipid concentrations were determined enzymatically; apolipoproteins levels by kinetic nephelometry and lipoparticles by electroimmunodiffusion.

No difference in total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, high- and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (lHDL-C and LDL-C) concentrations were observed between ARMD patients and controls. Apo E and LpE non-B concentrations were found to be higher in serum from patients than in serum from controls. In contrast, Apo C-III and LpC-III non-B concentrations were lower in serum from patients than in serum from controls.

The main differences observed between ARMD patients and controls are in Apo E, Apo C-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. Furthermore, we can hypothesize that ARMD development is linked to perturbations of HDL metabolism.