Use of Oxidative Stress Markers in Diagnosis and Evolution of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. Were monitored the evolution of oxidative stress markers before and after treatment. This is a case-control study, which included 59 patients diagnosed with AMD and 64 healthy controls. According to the AREDS classification, the patients were divided into two classes, moderate and severe form AMD and were treated with antioxidants, neurotrophic drugs, intravitreal injections with antiangiogenic factors. We followed the patients over a 12-month period and we evaluated the oxidative stress markers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), before and after treatment. By comparing the mean values of SOD, TBARS in the two groups, we found that they were significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group, being higher in patients with severe disease. These values decreased after treatment, but they have remained higher than in controls. This research supports the role of oxidative stress in AMD. This paper opens the perspectives of possible elucidations of the AMD pathogenesis dilemma and supports the need to monitor the evolution by assessing the oxidative stress markers.