Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011 Oct 11;52(11):8016-24. doi: 10.1167/iovs.11-7610.
The role of macular pigment (MP) in age-related maculopathy (ARM) is still not clearly understood. Recent studies have reported on variations in the spatial distribution of MP optical density (MPOD) including a secondary peak ("ring") in the slope of the MPOD profile. The authors investigated in a cross-sectional manner the presence of ringlike structures, their determinants, and their relationship with ARM.
In all, 369 participants of the Muenster Aging and Retina Study were examined using dual-wavelength analysis of autofluorescence images. ARM was graded using digital fundus photographs according to the International Classification System.
A ringlike structure was observed in 73 (19.8%) study participants. The MP maximum of the ring was located on average at 0.85° and the minimum at 0.48° from the center of the fovea. Their concordance between pairs of eyes was highly significant. MPOD measured at eccentricities of 0°, 0.25°, and 0.5° from the fovea was significantly lower in eyes with ringlike structure, whereas it was significantly higher at 1.0° and 2.0° than that in eyes without the ring. Ringlike structures were significantly more common in females and never smokers and were found significantly less often in eyes with ARM than in healthy eyes, even after adjustment for influential factors (adjusted odds ratio, 0.347; 95% confidence interval, 0.196-0.617).
Ringlike structures in the MP spatial profile are fairly common, show a high degree of bilaterality, and appeared inversely related with ARM.
黄斑色素（MP）在年龄相关性黄斑病变（ARM）中的作用尚不清楚。最近的研究报告了 MP 光密度（MPOD）空间分布的变化，包括 MPOD 曲线斜率的二次峰（“环”）。作者以横断面的方式研究了环状结构的存在、其决定因素及其与 ARM 的关系。
共检查了 369 名明斯特衰老与视网膜研究参与者的双波长自发荧光图像分析。根据国际分类系统，使用数字眼底照片对 ARM 进行分级。
在 73 名（19.8%）研究参与者中观察到环状结构。环的 MP 最大值平均位于黄斑中心 0.85°，最小值位于 0.48°。它们在双眼之间的一致性非常显著。从黄斑中心起 0°、0.25°和 0.5°处测量的 MPOD 在具有环状结构的眼中明显较低，而在 1.0°和 2.0°处明显高于无环眼中的 MPOD。环状结构在女性和从不吸烟者中更为常见，在 ARM 眼中比在健康眼中明显较少，即使在调整了影响因素后（调整后的优势比，0.347；95%置信区间，0.196-0.617）。
MP 空间分布中的环状结构相当常见，具有高度的双侧性，与 ARM 呈负相关。
