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Chlamydia pneumoniae infection, complement factor H variants and age-related macular degeneration

D Shen1, J Tuo, M Patel

  • 110 Center Drive, 10/10N103, National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-1857, USA.

The British Journal of Ophthalmology
|November 11, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection may increase age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk. Complement factor H (CFH) variants also elevate AMD risk, but C pneumoniae does not appear to modify this risk.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Infectious Disease
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Impaired complement factor H (CFH) inhibition of the alternative pathway is linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  • Chlamydia pneumoniae (C pneumoniae) infection can activate the alternative pathway, but its association with AMD is debated.
  • Contradictory evidence exists regarding the link between C pneumoniae and AMD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between C pneumoniae infection and AMD.
  • To determine if C pneumoniae infection modulates AMD risk in individuals with CFH variants.

Main Methods:

  • Genomic DNA from 148 advanced AMD patients and 162 controls was analyzed for CFH polymorphism and C pneumoniae gene presence.
  • Macular cells from 59 AMD and 16 non-AMD archived slides were examined.
  • Case-control analysis was performed using chi-squared testing.

Main Results:

  • C pneumoniae infection was associated with a 2.17-fold increased risk of AMD (p<0.017).
  • A CFH variant was linked to a 1.98-fold increased risk of AMD (p<0.0001).
  • No significant relationship was found between the risk-conferring CFH variant and C pneumoniae infection (OR = 1.81, p = 0.08).

Conclusions:

  • A potential association exists between AMD and C pneumoniae infection.
  • CFH may not play a direct role in the pathogenesis of AMD mediated by C pneumoniae infection.
Abstract

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