Osteoprotegerin and soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand in exudative age-related macular degeneration

ABSTRACT

Calcification and inflammation are among the important cases of exudative age-related macular degeneration [E-ARMD]. The aim of the present study was to elucidate if there is any relationship between serum Osteoprotegerin [OPG], soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand [RANK-ligand] and E-ARMD. In a cross-sectional study, we compared 45 E-ARMD patients with 45 matched controls. Diagnosis was confirmed by fluorescein angiography. Serum samples were analyzed for OPG, RANK-ligand, low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], total cholesterol [TC], and triglyceride [TG]. The levels of OPG and RANK-ligand were measured by ELISA methods. The mean age was 72.0 +/- 11.5 years in the E-ARMD group and 68.2 +/- 8.9 years in the control group [p=0.09]. The level of serum OPG was 132.10 +/- 75.49 pg/ml in the E-ARMD group and 94.88 +/- 61.65 pg/ml in the control subjects. E-ARMD patients had significantly high levels of OPG [p=0.012], as well as significantly high levels of LDL-C and TC [p=0.001 and p=0.005, respectively]. We could not find any significant difference in RANK-ligand, HDL-C, or TG between two study groups [p>0.05]. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the levels of OPG in E-ARMD patients. The present study showed that E-ARMD patients had high levels of serum OPG. It may act as a protective factor for E-ARMD or only as a secondary phenomenon of different processes of E-ARMD. Further prospective studies would be necessary for prognostic and predictive significance of OPG in patients affected by E-ARMD