Increased iron levels in macula associated with AMD, study suggests

Increased levels of iron in the retina may induce oxidative stress and lead to age-related macular degeneration, a postmortem study suggests. Because some of this iron is chelatable, iron chelators may be considered as a potential therapy for AMD, the study authors suggest.

Paul Hahn and colleagues at Philadelphia’s Scheie Eye Institute studied postmortem eyes affected by either nonexudative or exudative AMD and healthy postmortem eyes using computer-assisted digital analysis of stained tissue. To determine whether the iron was chelatable, sections treated with the iron chelator deferoxamine were compared with adjacent, nonchelated sections.

Compared to healthy maculas, the maculas affected by AMD had statistically significant increases in the total iron level, some of which was chelatable. Iron was present in the retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch’s membrane in maculas from eyes with drusen only, geographic atrophy and exudative AMD. Iron was present occasionally in relatively healthy areas.

The study is published in the August issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.