Curran-Celentano J, Hammond B R, Ciulla T A, Cooper D A, Pratt L M, Danis R B
Department of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Dec;74(6):796-802. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/74.6.796.
Information on concentrations of retinal carotenoids (macular pigment, or MP) is of particular interest because MP protects against age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States.
This study was designed to evaluate the relation between dietary intake, blood concentrations, and retinal concentrations of carotenoids in a large group of volunteers.
Two hundred eighty volunteers in the Indianapolis area completed health and diet questionnaires, donated a blood sample, and participated in MP density assessment to determine retinal carotenoid status. Dietary intake was assessed by food-frequency questionnaire. Serum concentrations of lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene were measured by HPLC. MP optical density (MPOD) was determined psychophysically with a 460-nm, 1 degrees test stimulus.
Average MPOD was 0.21 +/- 0.13. Average intakes of lutein + zeaxanthin and beta-carotene were 1101 +/- 838 and 2935 +/- 2698 microg/d, respectively. Although several key dietary intake variables (eg, lutein + zeaxanthin and beta-carotene) differed by sex, no significant sex differences were found in either serum concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin or MPOD. Serum beta-carotene concentrations were significantly higher in women than in men. Serum lutein + zeaxanthin and dietary intake of lutein + zeaxanthin were significantly correlated and significantly related to variations in MPOD (r = 0.21, P < 0.001, and r = 0.25, P < 0.001, respectively).
Retinal carotenoids can be measured in epidemiologic studies. In this study, MPOD was associated with lutein + zeaxanthin in the diet and the serum. Retinal concentrations, however, were influenced by other factors as well. To understand the effect of dietary lutein + zeaxanthin intake on the retina and risk of age-related eye disease, future studies should include measures of macular concentrations of these pigments.
视网膜类胡萝卜素（黄斑色素，或MP）浓度的信息备受关注，因为MP可预防年龄相关性黄斑变性，而年龄相关性黄斑变性是美国不可逆失明的主要原因。
本研究旨在评估一大群志愿者的类胡萝卜素膳食摄入量、血液浓度与视网膜浓度之间的关系。
印第安纳波利斯地区的280名志愿者完成了健康和饮食问卷，捐献了血样，并参与了MP密度评估以确定视网膜类胡萝卜素状态。通过食物频率问卷评估膳食摄入量。采用高效液相色谱法测定血清中叶黄素、玉米黄质和β-胡萝卜素的浓度。使用460纳米、1度的测试刺激，通过心理物理学方法确定MP光密度（MPOD）。
平均MPOD为0.21±0.13。叶黄素+玉米黄质和β-胡萝卜素的平均摄入量分别为1101±838和2935±2698微克/天。尽管几个关键的膳食摄入变量（如叶黄素+玉米黄质和β-胡萝卜素）存在性别差异，但在叶黄素和玉米黄质的血清浓度或MPOD方面未发现显著的性别差异。女性血清β-胡萝卜素浓度显著高于男性。血清叶黄素+玉米黄质与叶黄素+玉米黄质的膳食摄入量显著相关，且与MPOD的变化显著相关（分别为r = 0.21，P < 0.001和r = 0.25，P < 0.001）。
视网膜类胡萝卜素可在流行病学研究中进行测量。在本研究中，MPOD与饮食和血清中的叶黄素+玉米黄质相关。然而，视网膜浓度也受到其他因素的影响。为了解膳食叶黄素+玉米黄质摄入量对视网膜及年龄相关性眼病风险的影响，未来的研究应包括这些色素在黄斑中的浓度测量。
