1. The role of leptin in choroidal neovascularization
- Author
-
Joanne A Matsubara, Arif Samad, Jing Z Cui, Michael J. Potter, Mark D.J. Greve, Dan Hornan, and Brad J. Hinz
- Subjects
Adult ,Leptin ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Pathology ,Adolescent ,genetic structures ,Histoplasmosis ,Immunoenzyme Techniques ,Macular Degeneration ,Internal medicine ,Humans ,Medicine ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,Retinal pigment epithelium ,business.industry ,digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,Middle Aged ,Macular degeneration ,medicine.disease ,Choroidal Neovascularization ,eye diseases ,Staining ,Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ,Posterior segment of eyeball ,Ophthalmology ,Choroidal neovascularization ,Endocrinology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Immunohistochemistry ,Female ,sense organs ,medicine.symptom ,business ,hormones, hormone substitutes, and hormone antagonists - Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of leptin in choroidal neovascularization. METHODS: We examined the localization of leptin by immunohistochemistry in nine choroidal neovascular membranes surgically excised from patients with age-related macular degeneration, idiopathic choroidal neovascularization, and ocular histoplasmosis. Controls included omission of primary antibody, use of an irrelevant primary antibody and leptin staining of posterior segment of four normal donor eyes. RESULTS: Leptin was present in eight membranes and appeared vesicular, within the cytoplasm. The more vascular membranes and those consisting of a larger number of retinal pigment epithelium cells were associated with greater leptin staining. Leptin was not seen in the posterior segment of the four normal eyes. CONCLUSION: We suggest that leptin plays an active role in choroidal neovascularization, although further experiments are necessary to establish a causal relationship.
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF