Association of Serum Complement C1q and C3 Level with Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Women

Abstract

Purpose To investigate the association between serum complement components and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Patients and Methods A total of 118 AMD patients and age- and sex-matched 106 control subjects were included. Demographic data and the level of serum complement component (C)1q, C3 and C4 were evaluated. Based on sex, the subjects were stratified into male and female subgroups. Results The level of C1q (226.31±45.33mg/dL) was significantly higher and C3 (121.14±15.76mg/dL) was significantly lower than that in control group (200.03±38.54mg/dL) (128.42±19.81mg/dL) in the female AMD patients (p = 0.005, p = 0.045). Logistic regression showed that increased C1q (OR = 1.132, p = 0.016) and decreased C3 (OR = 0.960, p = 0.048) were independent risk factors for female AMD patients. No statistical significance was observed in the male. Conclusion Increased C1q and decreased C3 were associated with increased risk of AMD, suggesting that the complement classical pathway probably be involved in AMD, especially in female.

Serum mannan-binding lectin-associated serine proteases in early pregnancy for gestational diabetes in Chinese pregnant women

“…When MBL recognizes and binds to mannose residues on the pathogen surface, activated MASPs can subsequently initiate the complement cascade through cleavage of complement proteins C2 and C4 to generate C3 and C5 convertases ( 6 , 7 ). Indeed, overactivation of the complement system produces excessive inflammatory responses, resulting in β-cell function impairment and insulin resistance and thus glucose dyshomeostasis via activating the production of inflammatory mediators and stimulating macrophage infiltration ( 8 , 9 ). In recent years, several studies have reported that increased MASPs were associated with an elevated risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes ( 10 , 11 ).…”