Dataset Information

Alterations in Circulating Immune Cells in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries. Recent advances have highlighted the essential role of inflammation in the development of the disease. In addition to local retinal chronic inflammatory response, systemic immune alterations have also been observed in AMD patients. In this study we investigated the association between the frequency of circulating leukocyte populations and the prevalence as well as clinical presentations of nAMD. Leukocyte subsets of 103 nAMD patients (most of them were receiving anti-VEGF therapy prior to enrolment) and 26 controls were analysed by flow cytometry by relative cell size, granularity and surface markers. Circulating CD11b(+) cells and CD16(hi)HLA-DR(-) neutrophils were significantly increased (P?=?0.015 and 0.009 respectively) in nAMD when compared to controls. The percentage of circulating CD4(+) T-cells was reduced in nAMD patients without subretinal fibrosis (P?=?0.026) compared to patients with subretinal fibrosis. There was no correlation between the percentage of circulating leukocytes and the responsiveness to anti-VEGF therapy in nAMD patients. Our results suggest that higher levels of circulating CD11b(+) cells and neutrophils are associated with nAMD and that reduced levels of CD4(+) T-cells are associated with the absence of subretinal fibrosis in nAMD.

SUBMITTER: Lechner J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4648089 | biostudies-other | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Alterations in Circulating Immune Cells in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Lechner Judith J Chen Mei M Hogg Ruth E RE Toth Levente L Silvestri Giuliana G Chakravarthy Usha U Xu Heping H

Scientific reports 20151117

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries. Recent advances have highlighted the essential role of inflammation in the development of the disease. In addition to local retinal chronic inflammatory response, systemic immune alterations have also been observed in AMD patients. In this study we investigated the association between the frequency of circulating leukocyte populations and the prevalence as well as clinical p ...[more]

PMID: 26572732

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Project description:BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE:A subset of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nvAMD) subjects appears to be refractory to the effects of anti-VEGF treatment and require frequent intravitreal injections. The vascular phenotype of the choroidal neovascular (CNV) lesions may contribute to the resistance. Animal studies of CNV lesions have shown that cells originating from bone marrow are capable of forming varying cell types in the lesions. This raised the possibility of a similar cell population in human nvAMD subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Blood draws were obtained from subjects with active nvAMD while patients were receiving standard of care anti-VEGF injections. Subjects were classified as refractory or non-refractory to anti-VEGF treatment based on previous number of injections in the preceding 12 months. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated and CD34-positive cells purified using magnetic bead sorting. The isolated cells were expanded in StemSpan SFEM media to increase cell numbers. After expansion, the cells were split and plated in either endothelial or mesenchymal promoting conditions. Phenotype analysis was performed via qPCR. RESULTS:There was no significant difference in the number of PBMCs and CD34-positive cells between refractory and non-refractory nvAMD subjects. The growth pattern distribution between endothelial and mesenchymal media conditions were very similar between refractory and non-refractory subjects. qPCR and immunostaining demonstrated positive expression of endothelial markers in endothelial media, and markers such as NG2 and ?SMA in mesenchymal media. However, analysis of subsequent samples from AMD subjects demonstrated high variability in both the numbers and differentiation properties of this cell population. CONCLUSIONS:CD34+ cells can be isolated from nvAMD subjects and show both endothelial and pericyte-like characteristics after differentiation in certain media conditions. However, nvAMD subjects show high variability in both numbers of cells and differentiation characteristics in repeat sampling. This variability highlights the importance of taking multiple samples from nvAMD subjects for any clinical trials focused on biomarkers for the disease.

Dataset Information

Alterations in Circulating Immune Cells in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Publications

Alterations in Circulating Immune Cells in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

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