Patterns of increased in vivo fundus autofluorescence in the junctional zone of geographic atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium associated with age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

The different patterns of autofluorescence in the presence of GA associated with ARMD may reflect variable forms of reactive changes in the surrounding RPE cells, and may indicate the extend of compromised RPE secondary to ageing changes in the outer retina, Bruch's membrane and choriocapillaris. Since GA spreads over time, increased LF accumulation in the junctional zone may precede cell death and may, therefore, be of prognostic value. Knowledge of the topographic variation in LF accumulation is important because heterogeneity may reflect underlying differences in cell kinetics, metabolism and biochemistry.

The marine n-3 PUFA DHA evokes cytoprotection against oxidative stress and protein misfolding by inducing autophagy and NFE2L2 in human retinal pigment epithelial cells

“…10 Increased accumulation of intracellular auto-oxidative and autofluorescent lipofuscin in the lysosomes of RPE cells, as well as drusen formation in the extracellular space between the RPE and the Bruch membrane are hallmarks of AMD. 8,[11][12][13] Lipofuscin is a brownyellow, electron-dense, age-related pigment composed of a complex heterogeneous mixture of lipid-protein aggregates. 14 In drusens various acute phase inflammatory markers and oxidative stress-related proteins have been characterized.…”

Predictors for the progression of geographic atrophy in patients with age-related macular degeneration: fundus autofluorescence study with modified fundus camera

“…[1][2][3] LF granules accumulate over time because RPE cells have no mechanism for degrading or transporting LF material granules into the extracellular space. 4 Previous studies have suggested that LF and its constituents have toxic effects on normal RPE cell function. [5][6][7] Abnormal LF accumulation is observed in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of severe vision loss in developed countries.…”

Isolation and characterization of a retinal pigment epithelial cell fluorophore: An all-trans -retinal dimer conjugate

“…RPE lipofuscin fluorophores accumulate with age (5,6), the greatest accretion is in RPE cells underlying the central retina (6), and the retinoid-derived fluorophores are particularly abundant in Stargardt's disease (7,8), a macular degeneration of juvenile onset. Indeed, several lines of evidence indicate that the lipofuscin fluorophores that accumulate in RPE contribute to the death of these cells in some forms of macular degeneration (5,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). The loss of RPE is a critical event because it is thought that it leads to bystander-like degeneration of photoreceptors that culminates in visual impairment.…”