Plasma Metabolomic Profiles Associated with Three-Year Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Ines Lains,
Kevin Mendez,
Archana Nigalye,
Raviv Katz,
Vivian Paraskevi Douglas,
Rachel S. Kelly,
Ivana K. Kim,
John B. Miller,
Demetrios G. Vavvas,
Liming Liang,
Jessica Lasky-Su,
Joan W. Miller,
Deeba Husain
Affiliations
Ines Lains
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Kevin Mendez
Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Archana Nigalye
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Raviv Katz
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Vivian Paraskevi Douglas
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Rachel S. Kelly
Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Ivana K. Kim
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
John B. Miller
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Demetrios G. Vavvas
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Liming Liang
Systems Genetics and Genomics Unit, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Jessica Lasky-Su
Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Joan W. Miller
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Deeba Husain
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Plasma metabolomic profiles have been shown to be associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its severity stages. However, all studies performed to date have been cross-sectional and have not assessed progression of AMD. This prospective, longitudinal, pilot study analyzes, for the first time, the association between plasma metabolomic profiles and progression of AMD over a 3-year period. At baseline and 3 years later, subjects with AMD (n = 108 eyes) and controls (n = 45 eyes) were imaged with color fundus photos for AMD staging and tested for retinal function with dark adaptation (DA). Fasting plasma samples were also collected for metabolomic profiling. AMD progression was considered present if AMD stage at 3 years was more advanced than at baseline (n = 26 eyes, 17%). Results showed that, of the metabolites measured at baseline, eight were associated with 3-year AMD progression (p p p < 0.01) with AMD progression and DA, respectively. In conclusion, plasma metabolomic profiles are associated with clinical and functional progression of AMD at 3 years. These findings contribute to our understanding of mechanisms of AMD progression and the identification of potential therapeutics for this blinding disease.
