Age-related macular degeneration is associated with increased proportion of CD56(+) T cells in peripheral blood

TY - JOUR

T1 - Age-related macular degeneration is associated with increased proportion of CD56(+) T cells in peripheral blood

AU - Faber, Carsten

AU - Singh, Amardeep

AU - Krüger Falk, Mads

AU - Juel, Helene Bæk

AU - Sørensen, Torben Lykke

AU - Nissen, Mogens Holst

N1 - Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2013/11

Y1 - 2013/11

N2 - Purpose: To examine the association between age-related changes in the T-cell compartment and prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design: Case-control study. Participants: A total of 117 AMD cases and 106 controls were included prospectively. Methods: Fresh-drawn peripheral blood samples were processed for flow cytometric analysis of T-cell populations. Plasma samples were analyzed for anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunoglobulin (Ig)G and complement factor H (CFH) Y402H genotype. The diagnosis of AMD was made according to the Clinical Age-Related Maculopathy Staging System. Main Outcome Measures: Association between frequency of aged T cells and prevalence of AMD. Results: The prevalence of AMD was associated with distinct age-related changes in the T-cell compartment. Specifically, the patients with AMD had an increased frequency of CD28- T cells that expressed the CD56 surface marker (patients, 34.9% vs. aged controls, 25.8%; P = 0.002). Participants in the highest tertile of CD56+ CD28- T cells had an odds ratio (OR) for the presence of AMD of 3.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-8.8) after adjustment for CFH genotype, anti-CMV IgG positivity, age, sex, and smoking history. The adjusted OR of the presence of AMD for persons having at least 1 CFH H402 risk allele increased from 3.5 (95% CI, 1.5-8.1) to 13.3 (95% CI, 3.3-53.6) for persons with at least 1 CFH H402 risk allele and above the median level of CD56+ CD28- T cells. Conclusions: We found increased levels of circulating aged CD56+ CD28- T cells in patients with AMD. Although this supports the notion of AMD as a systemic disease, it also suggests that the adaptive immune system is implicated in its pathogenesis. Financial Disclosure(s): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

AB - Purpose: To examine the association between age-related changes in the T-cell compartment and prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design: Case-control study. Participants: A total of 117 AMD cases and 106 controls were included prospectively. Methods: Fresh-drawn peripheral blood samples were processed for flow cytometric analysis of T-cell populations. Plasma samples were analyzed for anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunoglobulin (Ig)G and complement factor H (CFH) Y402H genotype. The diagnosis of AMD was made according to the Clinical Age-Related Maculopathy Staging System. Main Outcome Measures: Association between frequency of aged T cells and prevalence of AMD. Results: The prevalence of AMD was associated with distinct age-related changes in the T-cell compartment. Specifically, the patients with AMD had an increased frequency of CD28- T cells that expressed the CD56 surface marker (patients, 34.9% vs. aged controls, 25.8%; P = 0.002). Participants in the highest tertile of CD56+ CD28- T cells had an odds ratio (OR) for the presence of AMD of 3.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-8.8) after adjustment for CFH genotype, anti-CMV IgG positivity, age, sex, and smoking history. The adjusted OR of the presence of AMD for persons having at least 1 CFH H402 risk allele increased from 3.5 (95% CI, 1.5-8.1) to 13.3 (95% CI, 3.3-53.6) for persons with at least 1 CFH H402 risk allele and above the median level of CD56+ CD28- T cells. Conclusions: We found increased levels of circulating aged CD56+ CD28- T cells in patients with AMD. Although this supports the notion of AMD as a systemic disease, it also suggests that the adaptive immune system is implicated in its pathogenesis. Financial Disclosure(s): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

KW - Adaptive Immunity

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Aged, 80 and over

KW - Antibodies, Viral

KW - Antigens, CD56

KW - Case-Control Studies

KW - Complement Factor H

KW - Cytomegalovirus

KW - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

KW - Female

KW - Flow Cytometry

KW - Fluorescein Angiography

KW - Genotype

KW - Humans

KW - Macular Degeneration

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

KW - Prospective Studies

KW - T-Lymphocytes

KW - Tomography, Optical Coherence

U2 - 10.1016/j.ophtha.2013.04.014

DO - 10.1016/j.ophtha.2013.04.014

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23747161

SN - 0161-6420

VL - 120

SP - 2310

EP - 2316

JO - Ophthalmology

JF - Ophthalmology

IS - 11

ER -