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Stem cells may play a role in the severity of neovascular AMD, study suggests
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Certain hematopoietic stem cells might be recruited from bone marrow and may play a role in the severity of active choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration, according to a study published in the December issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
To investigate whether the number or function of circulating hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) influences the formation of CNV, Yuko Yodoi, MD, and colleagues at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine performed fundus examinations on 81 patients with neovascular AMD over 3-month intervals, according to the study.
Investigators used flow cytometry to count the number of CD34+ HSCs isolated from peripheral blood and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to assess serum cytokine levels. Colony forming unit (CFU-EC) and migration were measured on cultured mononuclear cells to examine the function of circulating HSCs.
Researchers found that the number of HSCs significantly increased in patients with active CNV without major systemic diseases. The number of circulating cells in patients with stable CNV averaged 3.8 per µL compared with 5.5 per µL in patients with active CNV (P < .05), according to the study.
Additionally, researchers positively linked the number of HSCs with the erythropoietin serum level (P = .002).
No significant difference was seen in the CFU-EC between CNV and control patients. However, a significant decrease in CFU-EC was noted in patients with bilateral or larger CNV, the authors reported.