Mechanism of inflammation in age-related macular degeneration: an up-to-date on genetic landmarks.

ABSTRACT: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible visual impairment among people over 50 years of age, accounting for up to 50% of all cases of legal blindness in Western countries. Although the aging represents the main determinant of AMD, it must be considered a multifaceted disease caused by interactions among environmental risk factors and genetic backgrounds. Mounting evidence and/or arguments document the crucial role of inflammation and immune-mediated processes in the pathogenesis of AMD. Proinflammatory effects secondary to chronic inflammation (e.g., alternative complement activation) and heterogeneous types of oxidative stress (e.g., impaired cholesterol homeostasis) can result in degenerative damages at the level of crucial macular structures, that

SUBMITTER: Parmeggiani F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3863457 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature