Zinc supplementation inhibits complement activation in age-related macular degeneration.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. AMD is a multifactorial disorder but complement-mediated inflammation at the level of the retina plays a pivotal role. Oral zinc supplementation can reduce the progression of AMD but the precise mechanism of this protective effect is as yet unclear. We investigated whether zinc supplementation directly affects the degree of complement activation in AMD and whether there is a relation between serum complement catabolism during zinc administration and the complement factor H (CFH) gene or the Age-Related Maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) genotype. In this open-label clinical study, 72 randomly selected AMD patients in various stages of AMD received a daily supplement of 50 mg

SUBMITTER: Smailhodzic D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4231060 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature