Relationships found between plasma MDA levels and genetics in patients with PCV, wet AMD

This retrospective case-control study found that reactive oxidized phospholipids, such as plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), may play a role in the pathogenesis of wet macular degeneration.

MDA is a breakdown product of lipid peroxides that are produced as a result of oxidative stress. It is thought that these reactive oxidized phospholipids play a role in AMD.

The authors measured plasma MDA in 84 controls, 62 patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and 42 patients with wet AMD. The patients underwent genotyping for high and low risk ARMS2 polymorphisms. They also underwent fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography and were evaluated for greatest linear dimension and bilaterality.

Patients had significantly higher plasma MDA levels than control subjects. Interestingly, for ARMS2 variants, the homozygous high-risk genotype group had significantly higher plasma MDA levels than heterozygous or homozygous low-risk genotype groups, which could demonstrate greater susceptibility of the homozygous high-risk genotypes to oxidative stress.

The plasma MDA levels of patients with bilateral lesions were significantly higher than that of patients with unilateral lesions who had PCV or wet AMD. In addition, there was a significant correlation between angiographic size of the lesion and plasma MDA levels in patients with wet AMD.