Inflammation Marker Implicated in Eye Disease Risk

A number of previous studies establish that inflammation plays a role in the origin of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in aging.  Precursor tissues of AMD have been shown to contain a variety of pro-inflammatory proteins, including fibrinogen, vitronectin, and complement components, as well as C-reactive protein (CRP).  High-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) has been widely used as a marker of systemic inflammation.  Debra A. Schaumberg, from the Harvard School of Public Health (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues completed a pooled analysis of prospective nested case-control data from the Women's Health Study, the Physicians' Health Study, Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study, Nurses' Health Study, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.  Study subjects were initially free of AMD, with 647 incident cases of AMD prospectively identified to which the investigators matched control subjects.  The team measured  hsCRP in baseline blood samples, and modeled the relationship between hsCRP and AMD.  They found that high levels of hsCRP predicted an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), including neovascular AMD.  Writing that: “Overall, these pooled findings from 5 prospective cohorts add further evidence that elevated levels of [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein] predict greater future risk of [age-related macular degeneration],” the study authors submit that: “This information might shed light on underlying mechanisms and could be of clinical utility in the identification of persons at high risk of AMD who may benefit from increased adherence to lifestyle recommendations, eye examination schedules, and therapeutic protocols.”