Afarid Mehrdad, Azimi Ali, Malekzadeh Mahyar
Department of Ophthalmology, Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
School of Medicine, Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
J Res Med Sci. 2019 Mar 25;24:24. doi: 10.4103/jrms.JRMS_363_18. eCollection 2019.
Environmental, genetic, and immunological factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In an attempt to better understand the pathogenesis of AMD, in this study, we evaluated the serum interferon (IFN) levels in patients with AMD and compared it with persons without AMD.
In this case-control study, 42 patients with AMD and 42 healthy individuals (without AMD) were enrolled as the case and control groups, respectively. The two groups were matched regarding their age and sex. We classified the case group as dry-type and wet-type AMD. Blood samples were obtained and the serum was collected and frozen at -20°C. Alpha-, beta-, and gamma-IFN levels were measured using the sandwich ELISA method and compared between and within the groups.
The mean beta IFN levels in both case and control groups were 46.88 ± 27.25 pg/ml and 34.90 ± 18.81 pg/ml ( = 0.021), respectively. Regarding gamma and alpha IFN, the serum levels were not detectable in most of the patients and no significant difference was detected between the case and control groups.
We found that serum beta IFN levels are higher in patients with AMD. This finding may have diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic value in AMD patients and can be a beginning for further evaluation.
环境、遗传和免疫因素可能在年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD）的发病机制中起作用。为了更好地理解AMD的发病机制，在本研究中，我们评估了AMD患者的血清干扰素（IFN）水平，并将其与非AMD患者进行比较。
在这项病例对照研究中，分别招募了42例AMD患者和42名健康个体（无AMD）作为病例组和对照组。两组在年龄和性别方面进行了匹配。我们将病例组分为干性和湿性AMD。采集血样，收集血清并在-20°C下冷冻。使用夹心ELISA法测量α、β和γ干扰素水平，并在组间和组内进行比较。
病例组和对照组的平均β干扰素水平分别为46.88±27.25 pg/ml和34.90±18.81 pg/ml（P = 0.021）。关于γ和α干扰素，大多数患者的血清水平无法检测到，病例组和对照组之间未检测到显著差异。
我们发现AMD患者的血清β干扰素水平较高。这一发现可能对AMD患者具有诊断、治疗和预后价值，并可为进一步评估提供开端。
