Proteolytic Degradation and Inflammation Play Critical Roles in Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy.

ABSTRACT: Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a common subtype of wet age-related macular degeneration in Asian populations, whereas choroidal neovascularization is the typical subtype in Western populations. The cause of PCV is unknown. By comparing the phenotype of a PCV mouse model expressing protease high temperature requirement factor A1 (HTRA1) in retinal pigment epithelium with transgenic mice expressing the inactive HTRA1^S328A, we showed that HTRA1-mediated degradation of elastin in choroidal vessels is critical for the development of PCV, which exhibited destructive extracellular matrix remodeling and vascular smooth muscle cell loss. Compared with weak PCV, severe PCV exhibited prominent immune complex deposition, complement activation, and infiltration of inflammatory ce

SUBMITTER: Kumar S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5718105 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature