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Jabbehdari S, Oganov AC, Rezagholi F, Mohammadi S, Harandi H, Yazdanpanah G, Arevalo JF. Age-related macular degeneration and neurodegenerative disorders: Shared pathways in complex interactions. Surv Ophthalmol 2024; 69:303-310. [PMID: 38000700 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease are debilitating conditions that affect millions worldwide. Despite the different clinical manifestations of these diseases, growing evidence suggests that they share common pathways in their pathogenesis including inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired autophagy. In this review, we explore the complex interactions between AMD and neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on their shared mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. We also discuss the current opportunities and challenges for developing effective treatments that can target these pathways to prevent or slow down disease progression in AMD. Some of the promising strategies that we explore include modulating the immune response, reducing oxidative stress, enhancing autophagy and lysosomal function, and targeting specific protein aggregates or pathways. Ultimately, a better understanding of the shared pathways between AMD and neurodegenerative disorders may pave the way for novel and more efficacious treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayena Jabbehdari
- Jones Eye Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Anthony C Oganov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Fateme Rezagholi
- School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Soheil Mohammadi
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Harandi
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghasem Yazdanpanah
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - J Fernando Arevalo
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Fu DJ, Glinton S, Lipkova V, Faes L, Liefers B, Zhang G, Pontikos N, McKeown A, Scheibler L, Patel PJ, Keane PA, Balaskas K. Deep-learning automated quantification of longitudinal OCT scans demonstrates reduced RPE loss rate, preservation of intact macular area and predictive value of isolated photoreceptor degeneration in geographic atrophy patients receiving C3 inhibition treatment. Br J Ophthalmol 2024; 108:536-545. [PMID: 37094835 PMCID: PMC10958254 DOI: 10.1136/bjo-2022-322672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of automated optical coherence tomography (OCT) segmentation, using a validated deep-learning model, for assessing the effect of C3 inhibition on the area of geographic atrophy (GA); the constituent features of GA on OCT (photoreceptor degeneration (PRD), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) loss and hypertransmission); and the area of unaffected healthy macula.To identify OCT predictive biomarkers for GA growth. METHODS Post hoc analysis of the FILLY trial using a deep-learning model for spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) autosegmentation. 246 patients were randomised 1:1:1 into pegcetacoplan monthly (PM), pegcetacoplan every other month (PEOM) and sham treatment (pooled) for 12 months of treatment and 6 months of therapy-free monitoring. Only participants with Heidelberg SD-OCT were included (n=197, single eye per participant).The primary efficacy endpoint was the square root transformed change in area of GA as complete RPE and outer retinal atrophy (cRORA) in each treatment arm at 12 months, with secondary endpoints including RPE loss, hypertransmission, PRD and intact macular area. RESULTS Eyes treated PM showed significantly slower mean change of cRORA progression at 12 and 18 months (0.151 and 0.277 mm, p=0.0039; 0.251 and 0.396 mm, p=0.039, respectively) and RPE loss (0.147 and 0.287 mm, p=0.0008; 0.242 and 0.410 mm, p=0.00809). PEOM showed significantly slower mean change of RPE loss compared with sham at 12 months (p=0.0313). Intact macular areas were preserved in PM compared with sham at 12 and 18 months (p=0.0095 and p=0.044). PRD in isolation and intact macula areas was predictive of reduced cRORA growth at 12 months (coefficient 0.0195, p=0.01 and 0.00752, p=0.02, respectively) CONCLUSION: The OCT evidence suggests that pegcetacoplan slows progression of cRORA overall and RPE loss specifically while protecting the remaining photoreceptors and slowing the progression of healthy retina to iRORA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dun Jack Fu
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Sophie Glinton
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Veronika Lipkova
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Livia Faes
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Bart Liefers
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gongyu Zhang
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Nikolas Pontikos
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Alex McKeown
- Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Praveen J Patel
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Pearse A Keane
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Konstantinos Balaskas
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
- University College London, London, UK
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Acar IE, Galesloot TE, Luhmann UFO, Fauser S, Gayán J, den Hollander AI, Nogoceke E. Whole Genome Sequencing Identifies Novel Common and Low-Frequency Variants Associated With Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:24. [PMID: 37975850 PMCID: PMC10664724 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.14.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To identify associations of common, low-frequency, and rare variants with advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Methods WGS data were obtained for 2123 advanced AMD patients (participants of clinical trials for advanced AMD) and 2704 controls (participants of clinical trials for asthma [N = 2518] and Alzheimer's disease [N = 186]), and joint genotype calling was performed, followed by quality control of the dataset. Single variant association analyses were performed for all identified common, low-frequency, and rare variants. Gene-based tests were executed for rare and low-frequency variants using SKAT-O and three groups of variants based on putative impact information: (1) all variants, (2) modifier impact variants, and (3) high- and moderate-impact variants. To ascertain independence of the identified associations from previously reported AMD and asthma loci, conditional analyses were performed. Results Previously identified AMD variants at the CFH, ARMS2/HTRA1, APOE, and C3 loci were associated with AMD at a genome-wide significance level. We identified new single variant associations for common variants near the PARK7 gene and in the long non-coding RNA AC103876.1, and for a rare variant near the TENM3 gene. In addition, gene-based association analyses identified a burden of modifier variants in eight intergenic and gene-spanning regions and of high- and moderate-impact variants in the C3, CFHR5, SLC16A8, and CFI genes. Conclusions We describe the largest WGS study in AMD to date. We confirmed previously identified associations and identified several novel associations that are worth exploring in further follow-up studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilhan E. Acar
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tessel E. Galesloot
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Department for Health Evidence, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrich F. O. Luhmann
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sascha Fauser
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Javier Gayán
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anneke I. den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Everson Nogoceke
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Ferreira PA. Nucleocytoplasmic transport at the crossroads of proteostasis, neurodegeneration and neuroprotection. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2567-2589. [PMID: 37597509 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Nucleocytoplasmic transport comprises the multistep assembly, transport, and disassembly of protein and RNA cargoes entering and exiting nuclear pores. Accruing evidence supports that impairments to nucleocytoplasmic transport are a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases. These impairments cause dysregulations in nucleocytoplasmic partitioning and proteostasis of nuclear transport receptors and client substrates that promote intracellular deposits - another hallmark of neurodegeneration. Disturbances in liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) between dense and dilute phases of biomolecules implicated in nucleocytoplasmic transport promote micrometer-scale coacervates, leading to proteinaceous aggregates. This Review provides historical and emerging principles of LLPS at the interface of nucleocytoplasmic transport, proteostasis, aging and noxious insults, whose dysregulations promote intracellular aggregates. E3 SUMO-protein ligase Ranbp2 constitutes the cytoplasmic filaments of nuclear pores, where it acts as a molecular hub for rate-limiting steps of nucleocytoplasmic transport. A vignette is provided on the roles of Ranbp2 in nucleocytoplasmic transport and at the intersection of proteostasis in the survival of photoreceptor and motor neurons under homeostatic and pathophysiological environments. Current unmet clinical needs are highlighted, including therapeutics aiming to manipulate aggregation-dissolution models of purported neurotoxicity in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo A Ferreira
- Department of Ophthalmology, Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, NC, Durham, USA
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Hallam TM, Sharp SJ, Andreadi A, Kavanagh D. Complement factor I: Regulatory nexus, driver of immunopathology, and therapeutic. Immunobiology 2023; 228:152410. [PMID: 37478687 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2023.152410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Complement factor I (FI) is the nexus for classical, lectin and alternative pathway complement regulation. FI is an 88 kDa plasma protein that circulates in an inactive configuration until it forms a trimolecular complex with its cofactor and substrate whereupon a structural reorganization allows the catalytic triad to cleave its substrates, C3b and C4b. In keeping with its role as the master complement regulatory enzyme, deficiency has been linked to immunopathology. In the setting of complete FI deficiency, a consumptive C3 deficiency results in recurrent infections with encapsulated microorganisms. Aseptic cerebral inflammation and vasculitic presentations are also less commonly observed. Heterozygous mutations in the factor I gene (CFI) have been demonstrated to be enriched in atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome, albeit with a very low penetrance. Haploinsufficiency of CFI has also been associated with decreased retinal thickness and is a strong risk factor for the development of age-related macular degeneration. Supplementation of FI using plasma purified or recombinant protein has long been postulated, however, technical difficulties prevented progression into clinical trials. It is only using gene therapy that CFI supplementation has reached the clinic with GT005 in phase I/II clinical trials for geographic atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Hallam
- Gyroscope Therapeutics Limited, A Novartis Company, Rolling Stock Yard, London N7 9AS, UK; Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Building 26, Royal Victoria Infirmary, UK
| | - S J Sharp
- Gyroscope Therapeutics Limited, A Novartis Company, Rolling Stock Yard, London N7 9AS, UK
| | - A Andreadi
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Building 26, Royal Victoria Infirmary, UK
| | - D Kavanagh
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Building 26, Royal Victoria Infirmary, UK; NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Biomedical Research Building, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK.
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Borchert GA, Shamsnajafabadi H, Hu ML, De Silva SR, Downes SM, MacLaren RE, Xue K, Cehajic-Kapetanovic J. The Role of Inflammation in Age-Related Macular Degeneration-Therapeutic Landscapes in Geographic Atrophy. Cells 2023; 12:2092. [PMID: 37626902 PMCID: PMC10453093 DOI: 10.3390/cells12162092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss and visual impairment in people over 50 years of age. In the current therapeutic landscape, intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapies have been central to the management of neovascular AMD (also known as wet AMD), whereas treatments for geographic atrophy have lagged behind. Several therapeutic approaches are being developed for geographic atrophy with the goal of either slowing down disease progression or reversing sight loss. Such strategies target the inflammatory pathways, complement cascade, visual cycle or neuroprotective mechanisms to slow down the degeneration. In addition, retinal implants have been tried for vision restoration and stem cell therapies for potentially a dual purpose of slowing down the degeneration and restoring visual function. In particular, therapies focusing on the complement pathway have shown promising results with the FDA approved pegcetacoplan, a complement C3 inhibitor, and avacincaptad pegol, a complement C5 inhibitor. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of inflammation in AMD and outline the therapeutic landscapes of atrophy AMD. Improved understanding of the various pathway components and their interplay in this complex neuroinflammatory degeneration will guide the development of current and future therapeutic options, such as optogenetic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A. Borchert
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Hoda Shamsnajafabadi
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Monica L. Hu
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Samantha R. De Silva
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Susan M. Downes
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Robert E. MacLaren
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Kanmin Xue
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Jasmina Cehajic-Kapetanovic
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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Grigsby D, Klingeborn M, Kelly U, Chew LA, Asokan A, Devlin G, Smith S, Keyes L, Timmers A, Scaria A, Bowes Rickman C. AAV Gene Augmentation of Truncated Complement Factor H Differentially Rescues Ocular Complement Dysregulation in a Mouse Model. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:25. [PMID: 37471073 PMCID: PMC10365136 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.10.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Complement dysregulation in the eye has been implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and genetic variants of complement factor H (CFH) are strongly associated with AMD risk. We therefore aimed to untangle the role of CFH and its splice variant, factor H-like 1 (FHL-1), in ocular complement regulation derived from local versus circulating sources. We assessed the therapeutic efficacy of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) expressing human FHL-1 and a truncated version of CFH (tCFH), which retains the functional N- and C-terminal ends of the CFH protein, in restoring the alternative complement pathway in Cfh-/- mouse eyes and plasma. Methods Using Cfh-/- mice as a model of complement dysregulation, AAV vectors expressing tCFH or FHL-1 were injected subretinally or via tail vein, and the efficacy of the constructs was evaluated. Results Following subretinal injections, tCFH expression rescued factor B (FB) retention in the eye, but FHL-1 expression did not. By contrast, both constructs restored FB detection in plasma following tail vein injections. Both tCFH and FHL-1 proteins accumulated in the posterior eyecup from the circulation following liver transduction; however, neither was able to significantly regulate local ocular complement. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that the C-terminus of human CFH is necessary for complement regulation in the murine eye. Furthermore, exogenous CFH must be synthesized locally to maximize complement regulation in the retina. These findings establish a critical foundation for development of CFH augmentation-based gene therapies for the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Grigsby
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Mikael Klingeborn
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, United States
| | - Una Kelly
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Lindsey A Chew
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Aravind Asokan
- Departments of Surgery, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Biomedical Engineering, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Garth Devlin
- Departments of Surgery, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Biomedical Engineering, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Sharon Smith
- Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation, Alachua, Florida, United States
| | - Lisa Keyes
- Pfizer, Morrisville, North Carolina, United States
| | - Adrian Timmers
- Editas Medicine, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Abraham Scaria
- Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation, Alachua, Florida, United States
| | - Catherine Bowes Rickman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States
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Busch C, Rau S, Sekulic A, Perie L, Huber C, Gehrke M, Joussen AM, Zipfel PF, Wildner G, Skerka C, Strauß O. Increased plasma level of terminal complement complex in AMD patients: potential functional consequences for RPE cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1200725. [PMID: 37359546 PMCID: PMC10287163 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1200725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Polymorphisms in complement genes are risk-associated for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Functional analysis revealed a common deficiency to control the alternative complement pathway by risk-associated gene polymorphisms. Thus, we investigated the levels of terminal complement complex (TCC) in the plasma of wet AMD patients with defined genotypes and the impact of the complement activation of their plasma on second-messenger signaling, gene expression, and cytokine/chemokine secretion in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. Design Collection of plasma from patients with wet AMD (n = 87: 62% female and 38% male; median age 77 years) and controls (n = 86: 39% female and 61% male; median age 58 years), grouped for risk factor smoking and genetic risk alleles CFH 402HH and ARMS2 rs3750846, determination of TCC levels in the plasma, in vitro analysis on RPE function during exposure to patients' or control plasma as a complement source. Methods Genotyping, measurement of TCC concentrations, ARPE-19 cell culture, Ca2+ imaging, gene expression by qPCR, secretion by multiplex bead analysis of cell culture supernatants. Main outcome measures TCC concentration in plasma, intracellular free Ca2+, relative mRNA levels, cytokine secretion. Results TCC levels in the plasma of AMD patients were five times higher than in non-AMD controls but did not differ in plasma from carriers of the two risk alleles. Complement-evoked Ca2+ elevations in RPE cells differed between patients and controls with a significant correlation between TCC levels and peak amplitudes. Comparing the Ca2+ signals, only between the plasma of smokers and non-smokers, as well as heterozygous (CFH 402YH) and CFH 402HH patients, revealed differences in the late phase. Pre-stimulation with complement patients' plasma led to sensitization for complement reactions by RPE cells. Gene expression for surface molecules protective against TCC and pro-inflammatory cytokines increased after exposure to patients' plasma. Patients' plasma stimulated the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the RPE. Conclusion TCC levels were higher in AMD patients but did not depend on genetic risk factors. The Ca2+ responses to patients' plasma as second-messenger represent a shift of RPE cells to a pro-inflammatory phenotype and protection against TCC. We conclude a substantial role of high TCC plasma levels in AMD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharina Busch
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Saskia Rau
- Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andjela Sekulic
- Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Luce Perie
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Huber
- Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miranda Gehrke
- Section of Immunobiology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Antonia M. Joussen
- Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter F. Zipfel
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
| | - Gerhild Wildner
- Section of Immunobiology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Skerka
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Strauß
- Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
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9
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Farinha C, Barreto P, Coimbra R, Cachulo ML, Melo JB, Cunha-Vaz J, Lechanteur Y, Hoyng CB, Silva R. Common and rare genetic risk variants in age-related macular degeneration and genetic risk score in the Coimbra eye study. Acta Ophthalmol 2023; 101:185-199. [PMID: 36036675 DOI: 10.1111/aos.15232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the contribution of common and rare genetic variants in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a Portuguese population from the Coimbra Eye Study (CES), and the genetic risk score (GRS). METHODS Participants underwent ophthalmologic examination and imaging. A centralized reading centre performed AMD staging. Genetic sequencing was carried out with the EYE-RISK assay. Sixty-nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped and tested for association with AMD. Case-control and progression-to-AMD analyses were performed using logistic regression to assess allelic odds ratio (OR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI) for each variant. GRS was calculated for cases/controls and progressors/non-progressors. Cumulative impact of rare variants was compared between cases/controls using logistic regression. RESULTS In case-control analysis (237 cases/640 controls) variants associated with risk of disease were: ARMS2 rs10490924, ARMS2_HTRA1 rs3750846, CFH rs35292876, SLC16A8 rs8135665, TGFBR1 rs1626340. Major risk variants ARMS2/HTRA1 rs3750846, CFH rs570618 and C3 rs2230199 had unexpected lower allele frequency (AF), and the highest risk-conferring variant was a rare variant, CFH rs35292876 (OR, 2.668; p-value = 0.021). In progression-to-AMD analysis (137 progressors/630 non-progressors), variants associated with risk of progression were ARMS2 rs10490924, ARMS2_HTRA1 rs3750846, CFH rs35292876. GRS of cases/controls was 1.124 ± 1.187 and 0.645 ± 1.124 (p-value < 0.001), and of progressors/non-progressors was 1.190 ± 1.178 and 0.669 ± 1.141 (p-value < 0.001). Higher proportion of pathogenic rare CFH variants was observed in cases (OR, 9.661; p-value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Both common and rare variants were associated with AMD, but a CFH rare variant conferred the highest risk of disease while three major risk variants had a lower-than-expected AF in our population originary from a geographic region with lower prevalence of AMD. GRS was still significantly higher in AMD patients. Damaging CFH rare variants were cumulatively more common in AMD cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Farinha
- AIBILI - Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Coimbra, Portugal.,Ophthalmology Department, Coimbra Hospital and Universitary Centre (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal.,Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal.,Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medicine, (iCBR- FMUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patricia Barreto
- AIBILI - Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rita Coimbra
- AIBILI - Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria Luz Cachulo
- AIBILI - Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Coimbra, Portugal.,Ophthalmology Department, Coimbra Hospital and Universitary Centre (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal.,Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana Barbosa Melo
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José Cunha-Vaz
- AIBILI - Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Coimbra, Portugal.,Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medicine, (iCBR- FMUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Yara Lechanteur
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegan, Netherlands
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegan, Netherlands
| | - Rufino Silva
- AIBILI - Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image, Coimbra, Portugal.,Ophthalmology Department, Coimbra Hospital and Universitary Centre (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal.,Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal.,Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medicine, (iCBR- FMUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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10
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de Jong S, Tang J, Clark SJ. Age-related macular degeneration: A disease of extracellular complement amplification. Immunol Rev 2023; 313:279-297. [PMID: 36223117 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of vision impairment in the Western World, and with the aging world population, its incidence is increasing. As of today, for the majority of patients, no treatment exists. Multiple genetic and biochemical studies have shown a strong association with components in the complement system and AMD, and evidence suggests a major role of remodeling of the extracellular matrix underlying the outer blood/retinal barrier. As part of the innate immune system, the complement cascade acts as a first-line defense against pathogens, and upon activation, its amplification loop ensures a strong, rapid, and sustained response. Excessive activation, however, can lead to host tissue damage and cause complement-associated diseases like AMD. AMD patients present with aberrant activation of the alternative pathway, especially in ocular tissues but also on a systemic level. Here, we review the latest findings of complement activation in AMD, and we will discuss in vivo observations made in human tissue, cellular models, the potential synergy of different AMD-associated pathways, and conclude on current clinical trials and the future outlook.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah de Jong
- Department for Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jiaqi Tang
- Department for Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon J Clark
- Department for Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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11
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Hallam TM, Cox TE, Smith-Jackson K, Brocklebank V, Baral AJ, Tzoumas N, Steel DH, Wong EKS, Shuttleworth VG, Lotery AJ, Harris CL, Marchbank KJ, Kavanagh D. A novel method for real-time analysis of the complement C3b:FH:FI complex reveals dominant negative CFI variants in age-related macular degeneration. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1028760. [PMID: 36643920 PMCID: PMC9832388 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1028760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is linked to 2 main disparate genetic pathways: a chromosome 10 risk locus and the alternative pathway (AP) of complement. Rare genetic variants in complement factor H (CFH; FH) and factor I (CFI; FI) are associated with AMD. FH acts as a soluble cofactor to facilitate FI's cleavage and inactivation of the central molecule of the AP, C3b. For personalised treatment, sensitive assays are required to define the functional significance of individual AP genetic variants. Generation of recombinant FI for functional analysis has thus far been constrained by incomplete processing resulting in a preparation of active and inactive protein. Using an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)-Furin-CFI expression vector, fully processed FI was generated with activity equivalent to serum purified FI. By generating FI with an inactivated serine protease domain (S525A FI), a real-time surface plasmon resonance assay of C3b:FH:FI complex formation for characterising variants in CFH and CFI was developed and correlated well with standard assays. Using these methods, we further demonstrate that patient-associated rare genetic variants lacking enzymatic activity (e.g. CFI I340T) may competitively inhibit the wild-type FI protein. The dominant negative effect identified in inactive factor I variants could impact on the pharmacological replacement of FI currently being investigated for the treatment of dry AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Hallam
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas E. Cox
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Smith-Jackson
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Vicky Brocklebank
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - April J. Baral
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Nikolaos Tzoumas
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - David H. Steel
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,Sunderland Eye Infirmary, Sunderland, United Kingdom,Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Edwin K. S. Wong
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria G. Shuttleworth
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J. Lotery
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Claire L. Harris
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin J. Marchbank
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - David Kavanagh
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Biomedical Research Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: David Kavanagh,
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12
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Shughoury A, Sevgi DD, Ciulla TA. Molecular Genetic Mechanisms in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071233. [PMID: 35886016 PMCID: PMC9316037 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is among the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. In addition to environmental risk factors, such as tobacco use and diet, genetic background has long been established as a major risk factor for the development of AMD. However, our ability to predict disease risk and personalize treatment remains limited by our nascent understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying AMD pathogenesis. Research into the molecular genetics of AMD over the past two decades has uncovered 52 independent gene variants and 34 independent loci that are implicated in the development of AMD, accounting for over half of the genetic risk. This research has helped delineate at least five major pathways that may be disrupted in the pathogenesis of AMD: the complement system, extracellular matrix remodeling, lipid metabolism, angiogenesis, and oxidative stress response. This review surveys our current understanding of each of these disease mechanisms, in turn, along with their associated pathogenic gene variants. Continued research into the molecular genetics of AMD holds great promise for the development of precision-targeted, personalized therapies that bring us closer to a cure for this debilitating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aumer Shughoury
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Duriye Damla Sevgi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Thomas A Ciulla
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Clearside Biomedical, Inc., Alpharetta, GA 30005, USA
- Midwest Eye Institute, Indianapolis, IN 46290, USA
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13
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Generation of an iPSC line (SCTCi014-A) and isogenic control line (SCTCi014-A-1) from an age-related macular degeneration patient carrying the variant c.355G>A in the CFI gene. Stem Cell Res 2022; 62:102797. [PMID: 35526386 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2022.102797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease among the elderly in the Western world. AMD is a multifactorial disease, with a strong association with genetic variation in the complement system. One of the AMD-associated variants is the c.355G>A (p.Gly119Arg) variant in complement factor I (CFI), a central regulator of complement activation. Here, we report the generation of an iPSC line and its isogenic wildtype control derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a male AMD-affected individual carrying the heterozygous variant c.355G>A (p.Gly119Arg). The line can be utilized to study the effects of this variant in disease-specific cell types.
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14
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Biggs RM, Makou E, Lauder S, Herbert AP, Barlow PN, Katti SK. A Novel Full-Length Recombinant Human Complement Factor H (CFH; GEM103) for the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Shows Similar In Vitro Functional Activity to Native CFH. Curr Eye Res 2022; 47:1087-1093. [PMID: 35282732 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2022.2053725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE GEM103 is a recombinantly produced full-length version of the human complement factor H (CFH) under clinical investigation for treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in individuals carrying an AMD risk-associated genetic variant of CFH. This study aimed to investigate the complement pathway-related functions of GEM103 in comparison with those of native human CFH. METHODS Key biological activities of GEM103 and human serum-derived CFH (sdCFH) were compared using four independent functional assays. Assays of C3b binding and C3 convertase decay-accelerating activity (DAA) were performed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Cofactor activity (CA) was measured using 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid as a fluorescent probe of C3b integrity. The abilities of GEM103 and sdCFH to protect sheep erythrocytes from hemolysis by CFH-depleted normal human serum were assessed colorimetrically. RESULTS In multiple SPR-based assays of C3b binding and DAA, the performance of GEM103 was consistently comparable to that of sdCFH across a range of matching concentrations. The EC50 ± SD in the fluorescence-based fluid-phase CA assay was 0.21 ± 0.06 µM for GEM103 compared to 0.20 ± 0.09 µM for sdCFH. In hemolysis assays, the EC50 value of 0.33 ± 0.16 µM for GEM103 versus 0.46 ± 0.06 µM for sdCFH were not significantly different (p = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS GEM103, a recombinant CFH developed by Gemini Therapeutics, shows activity profiles comparable to sdCFH in all complement-related assays employed in this study, suggesting that GEM103 is equivalent to the native glycoprotein in terms of its in vitro functional activity. These results support further study of GEM103 as a potential therapy for AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisavet Makou
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Paul N Barlow
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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15
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de Jong S, Koolen L, Vázquez-Domínguez I, de Breuk A, Albert S, Hoyng CB, Katti S, den Hollander AI, Garanto A. Generation of an iPSC line (SCTCi015-A) and isogenic control line (SCTCi015-A-1) from an age-related macular degeneration patient carrying the variant c.355G>A in the CFI gene. Stem Cell Res 2022; 62:102796. [PMID: 35526389 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2022.102796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease among the elderly in the Western world. AMD is a multifactorial disease, with a strong association with genetic variation in the complement system. One of the AMD-associated variants is the c.355G>A (p.Gly119Arg) variant in complement factor I (CFI), a central regulator of complement activation. Here, we report the generation of an iPSC line and its isogenic wildtype control derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a female AMD-affected individual carrying the heterozygous variant c.355G>A (p.Gly119Arg). This line can be utilized to study the effects of this variant in disease-specific cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Louet Koolen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Irene Vázquez-Domínguez
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anita de Breuk
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Silvia Albert
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Garanto
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Human Genetics, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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16
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de Jong S, de Breuk A, Bakker B, Katti S, Hoyng CB, Nilsson SC, Blom AM, van den Heuvel LP, den Hollander AI, Volokhina EB. Functional Analysis of Variants in Complement Factor I Identified in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. Front Immunol 2022; 12:789897. [PMID: 35069568 PMCID: PMC8766660 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.789897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Complement factor I (FI) is a central inhibitor of the complement system, and impaired FI function increases complement activation, contributing to diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Genetic variation in complement factor I (CFI) has been identified in both AMD and aHUS, with more than half of these variants leading to reduced FI secretion levels. For many of the variants with normal FI secretion, however, functional implications are not yet known. Here we studied 11 rare missense variants, with FI secretion levels comparable to wildtype, but a predicted damaging effects based on the Combined Annotation Dependent Depletion (CADD) score. Three variants (p.Pro50Ala, p.Arg339Gln, and p.Ser570Thr) were analyzed in plasma and serum samples of carriers affected by AMD. All 11 variants (nine for the first time in this study) were recombinantly expressed and the ability to degrade C3b was studied with the C3b degradation assay. The amount of degradation was determined by measuring the degradation product iC3b with ELISA. Eight of 11 (73%) mutant proteins (p.Pro50Ala, p.Arg339Gln, p.Ile340Thr, p.Gly342Glu, p.Gly349Arg, p.Arg474Gln, p.Gly487Cys, and p.Gly512Ser) showed significantly impaired C3b degradation, and were therefore classified as likely pathogenic. Our data indicate that genetic variants in CFI with a CADD score >20 are likely to affect FI function, and that monitoring iC3b in a degradation assay is a useful tool to establish the pathogenicity of CFI variants in functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anita de Breuk
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Bjorn Bakker
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Suresh Katti
- Gemini Therapeutics Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Sara C Nilsson
- Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Anna M Blom
- Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Lambert P van den Heuvel
- Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Elena B Volokhina
- Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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17
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de Breuk A, Lechanteur YT, Heesterbeek TJ, Fauser S, Klaver CC, Hoyng CB, den Hollander AI. Genetic Risk in Families with Age-Related Macular Degeneration. OPHTHALMOLOGY SCIENCE 2021; 1:100087. [PMID: 36246952 PMCID: PMC9562327 DOI: 10.1016/j.xops.2021.100087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To determine the contribution of common and rare genetic risk variants in families with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Case-control study. Participants A family cohort (355 affected and 342 unaffected family members from 144 families with AMD) and an unrelated case-control cohort (1078 patients, 952 controls), recruited from the European Genetic Database. Methods Genetic data of both cohorts were filtered for carriership of rare genetic variants in the coding and splice-site regions of the complement factor H (CFH) and complement factor I (CFI) genes, and 52 AMD-associated variants were extracted for calculation of genetic risk scores (GRS). To compare GRSs between familial and nonfamilial rare CFH and CFI variant carriers and noncarriers and between AMD disease stages, we performed a 2-way analysis of variance, with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. Within families with AMD carrying rare CFH and CFI variants, we analyzed segregation patterns by calculating the proportion of affected among carriers. Main Outcome Measures GRSs and segregation of rare CFH and CFI variants. Results We observed higher GRSs in familial versus nonfamilial individuals without rare CFH and CFI variants: mean GRS, 1.76 (standard error [SE], 0.08) versus 0.83 (SE, 0.03; P < 0.001). In 51 of 144 families (35.4%), rare CFH and CFI variants were identified. Within the AMD family cohort, carriers of rare CFH and CFI variants showed lower GRSs compared with noncarriers (mean GRS, 1.05 [SE, 0.23] vs. 1.76 [SE, 0.08]; P = 0.02). The proportion of affected family members with a high GRS was 57.3% (176/307). Of the affected family members with a low or intermediate GRS, 40.0% carried rare CFH or CFI variants. Among carriers of 11 rare CFH or CFI variants, the proportion affected by AMD was more than 75%. Conclusions Genetic risk in families with AMD often is attributed to high GRSs based on common variants. However, in part of the families with a low or intermediate GRS, rare CFH and CFI variants contributed to disease development. We recommend computing GRSs and sequencing the CFH and CFI genes in families with AMD, in particular in the light of ongoing gene-specific clinical trials.
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18
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Acar IE, Willems E, Kersten E, Keizer-Garritsen J, Kragt E, Bakker B, Galesloot TE, Hoyng CB, Fauser S, van Gool AJ, Lechanteur YTE, Koertvely E, Nogoceke E, Gloerich J, de Jonge MI, Lorés-Motta L, den Hollander AI. Semi-Quantitative Multiplex Profiling of the Complement System Identifies Associations of Complement Proteins with Genetic Variants and Metabolites in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11121256. [PMID: 34945728 PMCID: PMC8705464 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11121256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of vision loss among the elderly in the Western world. The complement system has been identified as one of the main AMD disease pathways. We performed a comprehensive expression analysis of 32 complement proteins in plasma samples of 255 AMD patients and 221 control individuals using mass spectrometry-based semi-quantitative multiplex profiling. We detected significant associations of complement protein levels with age, sex and body-mass index (BMI), and potential associations of C-reactive protein, factor H related-2 (FHR-2) and collectin-11 with AMD. In addition, we confirmed previously described associations and identified new associations of AMD variants with complement levels. New associations include increased C4 levels for rs181705462 at the C2/CFB locus, decreased vitronectin (VTN) levels for rs11080055 at the TMEM97/VTN locus and decreased factor I levels for rs10033900 at the CFI locus. Finally, we detected significant associations between AMD-associated metabolites and complement proteins in plasma. The most significant complement-metabolite associations included increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) subparticle levels with decreased C3, factor H (FH) and VTN levels. The results of our study indicate that demographic factors, genetic variants and circulating metabolites are associated with complement protein components. We suggest that these factors should be considered to design personalized treatment approaches and to increase the success of clinical trials targeting the complement system.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. Erkin Acar
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (I.E.A.); (E.K.); (B.B.); (C.B.H.); (Y.T.E.L.); (L.L.-M.)
| | - Esther Willems
- Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.W.); (M.I.d.J.)
- Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Translational Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.K.-G.); (E.K.); (A.J.v.G.); (J.G.)
| | - Eveline Kersten
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (I.E.A.); (E.K.); (B.B.); (C.B.H.); (Y.T.E.L.); (L.L.-M.)
| | - Jenneke Keizer-Garritsen
- Translational Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.K.-G.); (E.K.); (A.J.v.G.); (J.G.)
| | - Else Kragt
- Translational Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.K.-G.); (E.K.); (A.J.v.G.); (J.G.)
| | - Bjorn Bakker
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (I.E.A.); (E.K.); (B.B.); (C.B.H.); (Y.T.E.L.); (L.L.-M.)
| | - Tessel E. Galesloot
- Department for Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Carel B. Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (I.E.A.); (E.K.); (B.B.); (C.B.H.); (Y.T.E.L.); (L.L.-M.)
| | - Sascha Fauser
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, 4070 Basel, Switzerland; (S.F.); (E.K.); (E.N.)
| | - Alain J. van Gool
- Translational Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.K.-G.); (E.K.); (A.J.v.G.); (J.G.)
| | - Yara T. E. Lechanteur
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (I.E.A.); (E.K.); (B.B.); (C.B.H.); (Y.T.E.L.); (L.L.-M.)
| | - Elod Koertvely
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, 4070 Basel, Switzerland; (S.F.); (E.K.); (E.N.)
| | - Everson Nogoceke
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, 4070 Basel, Switzerland; (S.F.); (E.K.); (E.N.)
| | - Jolein Gloerich
- Translational Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.K.-G.); (E.K.); (A.J.v.G.); (J.G.)
| | - Marien I. de Jonge
- Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (E.W.); (M.I.d.J.)
- Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Lorés-Motta
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (I.E.A.); (E.K.); (B.B.); (C.B.H.); (Y.T.E.L.); (L.L.-M.)
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, 4070 Basel, Switzerland; (S.F.); (E.K.); (E.N.)
| | - Anneke I. den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (I.E.A.); (E.K.); (B.B.); (C.B.H.); (Y.T.E.L.); (L.L.-M.)
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Correspondence:
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19
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de Jong S, de Breuk A, Volokhina EB, Bakker B, Garanto A, Fauser S, Katti S, Hoyng CB, Lechanteur YTE, van den Heuvel LP, den Hollander AI. Systemic complement levels in patients with age-related macular degeneration carrying rare or low frequency variants in the CFH gene. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 31:455-470. [PMID: 34508573 PMCID: PMC8825240 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of vision loss among the elderly in the Western world. Genetic variants in the complement factor H (CFH) gene are associated with AMD, but the functional consequences of many of these variants are currently unknown. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of 64 rare and low-frequency variants in the CFH gene on systemic levels of factor H (FH) and complement activation marker C3bBbP using plasma samples of 252 carriers and 159 non-carriers. Individuals carrying a heterozygous nonsense, frameshift or missense variant in CFH presented with significantly decreased FH levels and significantly increased C3bBbP levels in plasma compared to non-carrier controls. FH and C3bBbP plasma levels were relatively stable over time in samples collected during follow-up visits. Decreased FH and increased C3bBbP concentrations were observed in carriers compared to non-carriers of CFH variants among different AMD stages, with the exception of C3bBbP levels in advanced AMD stages, which were equally high in carriers and non-carriers. In AMD families, FH levels were decreased in carriers compared to non-carriers, but C3bBbP levels did not differ. Rare variants in the CFH gene can lead to reduced FH levels or reduced FH function as measured by increased C3bBbP levels. The effects of individual variants in the CFH gene reported in this study will improve the interpretation of rare and low-frequency variants observed in AMD patients in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anita de Breuk
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Elena B Volokhina
- Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud university medical center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bjorn Bakker
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Garanto
- Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud university medical center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud university medical center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sascha Fauser
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany.,F. Hoffmann - La Roche AG, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yara T E Lechanteur
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lambert P van den Heuvel
- Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud university medical center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud university medical center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud university medical center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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20
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de Jong S, Volokhina EB, de Breuk A, Nilsson SC, de Jong EK, van der Kar NCAJ, Bakker B, Hoyng CB, van den Heuvel LP, Blom AM, den Hollander AI. Effect of rare coding variants in the CFI gene on Factor I expression levels. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:2313-2324. [PMID: 32510551 PMCID: PMC7424754 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Factor I (FI) is one of the main inhibitors of complement activity, and numerous rare coding variants have been reported in patients with age-related macular degeneration, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and C3 glomerulopathy. Since many of these variants are of unknown clinical significance, this study aimed to determine the effect of rare coding variants in the complement factor I (CFI) gene on FI expression. We measured FI levels in plasma samples of carriers of rare coding variants and in vitro in the supernatants of epithelial cells expressing recombinant FI. FI levels were measured in 177 plasma samples of 155 individuals, carrying 24 different rare coding variants in CFI. In carriers of the variants p.Gly119Arg, p.Leu131Arg, p.Gly188Ala and c.772G>A (r.685_773del), significantly reduced FI plasma levels were detected. Furthermore, recombinant FI expression levels were determined for 126 rare coding variants. Of these variants 68 (54%) resulted in significantly reduced FI expression in supernatant compared to wildtype (WT). The recombinant protein expression levels correlated significantly with the FI level in plasma of carriers of CFI variants. In this study, we performed the most comprehensive FI expression level analysis of rare coding variants in CFI to date. More than half of CFI variants lead to reduced FI expression, which might impair complement regulation in vivo. Our study will aid the interpretation of rare coding CFI variants identified in clinical practice, which is in particular important in light of patient inclusion in ongoing clinical trials for CFI gene supplementation in AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Elena B Volokhina
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anita de Breuk
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sara C Nilsson
- Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, 21428 Malmö, Sweden
| | - Eiko K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole C A J van der Kar
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bjorn Bakker
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lambert P van den Heuvel
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anna M Blom
- Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, 21428 Malmö, Sweden
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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21
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Lorés-Motta L, van Beek AE, Willems E, Zandstra J, van Mierlo G, Einhaus A, Mary JL, Stucki C, Bakker B, Hoyng CB, Fauser S, Clark SJ, de Jonge MI, Nogoceke E, Koertvely E, Jongerius I, Kuijpers TW, den Hollander AI. Common haplotypes at the CFH locus and low-frequency variants in CFHR2 and CFHR5 associate with systemic FHR concentrations and age-related macular degeneration. Am J Hum Genet 2021; 108:1367-1384. [PMID: 34260947 PMCID: PMC8387287 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the principal cause of blindness in the elderly population. A strong effect on AMD risk has been reported for genetic variants at the CFH locus, encompassing complement factor H (CFH) and the complement-factor-H-related (CFHR) genes, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We aimed to dissect the role of factor H (FH) and FH-related (FHR) proteins in AMD in a cohort of 202 controls and 216 individuals with AMD. We detected elevated systemic levels of FHR-1 (p = 1.84 × 10-6), FHR-2 (p = 1.47 × 10-4), FHR-3 (p = 1.05 × 10-5) and FHR-4A (p = 1.22 × 10-2) in AMD, whereas FH concentrations remained unchanged. Common AMD genetic variants and haplotypes at the CFH locus strongly associated with FHR protein concentrations (e.g., FH p.Tyr402His and FHR-2 concentrations, p = 3.68 × 10-17), whereas the association with FH concentrations was limited. Furthermore, in an International AMD Genomics Consortium cohort of 17,596 controls and 15,894 individuals with AMD, we found that low-frequency and rare protein-altering CFHR2 and CFHR5 variants associated with AMD independently of all previously reported genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals (p = 5.03 × 10-3 and p = 2.81 × 10-6, respectively). Low-frequency variants in CFHR2 and CFHR5 led to reduced or absent FHR-2 and FHR-5 concentrations (e.g., p.Cys72Tyr in CFHR2 and FHR-2, p = 2.46 × 10-16). Finally, we showed localization of FHR-2 and FHR-5 in the choriocapillaris and in drusen. Our study identifies FHR proteins as key proteins in the AMD disease mechanism. Consequently, therapies that modulate FHR proteins might be effective for treating or preventing progression of AMD. Such therapies could target specific individuals with AMD on the basis of their genotypes at the CFH locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lorés-Motta
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525EX, the Netherlands; Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, 4070, Switzerland
| | - Anna E van Beek
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1066CX, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, the Netherlands; Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, 4051, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, 4051, Switzerland
| | - Esther Willems
- Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525GA, the Netherlands; Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525GA, the Netherlands; Translational Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525GA, the Netherlands
| | - Judith Zandstra
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1066CX, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, the Netherlands
| | - Gerard van Mierlo
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1066CX, the Netherlands
| | - Alfred Einhaus
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, 4070, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Luc Mary
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, 4070, Switzerland
| | - Corinne Stucki
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, 4070, Switzerland
| | - Bjorn Bakker
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525EX, the Netherlands
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525EX, the Netherlands
| | - Sascha Fauser
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, 4070, Switzerland
| | - Simon J Clark
- University Eye Clinic, Department for Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Germany; Institue for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076, Germany; Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, M139PL, United Kingdom
| | - Marien I de Jonge
- Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525GA, the Netherlands; Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525GA, the Netherlands
| | - Everson Nogoceke
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, 4070, Switzerland
| | - Elod Koertvely
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, 4070, Switzerland
| | - Ilse Jongerius
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1066CX, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, the Netherlands
| | - Taco W Kuijpers
- Department of Pediatric Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, the Netherlands; Department of Blood Cell Research, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1066CX, the Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525EX, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525GA, the Netherlands.
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22
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Complement Inhibitors in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Potential Therapeutic Option. J Immunol Res 2021; 2021:9945725. [PMID: 34368372 PMCID: PMC8346298 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9945725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disease, which can culminate in irreversible vision loss and blindness in elderly. Nowadays, there is a big gap between dry AMD and wet AMD on treatment. Accounting for nearly 90% of AMD, dry AMD still lacks effective treatment. Numerous genetic and molecular researches have confirmed the significant role of the complement system in the pathogenesis of AMD, leading to a deeper exploration of complement inhibitors in the treatment of AMD. To date, at least 14 different complement inhibitors have been or are being explored in AMD in almost 40 clinical trials. While most complement inhibitors fail to treat AMD successfully, two of them are effective in inhibiting the rate of GA progression in phase II clinical trials, and both of them successfully entered phase III trials. Furthermore, recently emerging complement gene therapy and combination therapy also offer new opportunities to treat AMD in the future. In this review, we aim to introduce genetic and molecular associations between the complement system and AMD, provide the updated progress in complement inhibitors in AMD on clinical trials, and discuss the challenges and prospects of complement therapeutic strategies in AMD.
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23
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McMahon O, Hallam TM, Patel S, Harris CL, Menny A, Zelek WM, Widjajahakim R, Java A, Cox TE, Tzoumas N, Steel DHW, Shuttleworth VG, Smith-Jackson K, Brocklebank V, Griffiths H, Cree AJ, Atkinson JP, Lotery AJ, Bubeck D, Morgan BP, Marchbank KJ, Seddon JM, Kavanagh D. The rare C9 P167S risk variant for age-related macular degeneration increases polymerization of the terminal component of the complement cascade. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1188-1199. [PMID: 33783477 PMCID: PMC8212764 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex neurodegenerative eye disease with behavioral and genetic etiology and is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss among elderly Caucasians. Functionally significant genetic variants in the alternative pathway of complement have been strongly linked to disease. More recently, a rare variant in the terminal pathway of complement has been associated with increased risk, Complement component 9 (C9) P167S. To assess the functional consequence of this variant, C9 levels were measured in two independent cohorts of AMD patients. In both cohorts, it was demonstrated that the P167S variant was associated with low C9 plasma levels. Further analysis showed that patients with advanced AMD had elevated sC5b-9 compared to those with non-advanced AMD, although this was not associated with the P167S polymorphism. Electron microscopy of membrane attack complexes (MACs) generated using recombinantly produced wild type or P167S C9 demonstrated identical MAC ring structures. In functional assays, the P167S variant displayed a higher propensity to polymerize and a small increase in its ability to induce hemolysis of sheep erythrocytes when added to C9-depleted serum. The demonstration that this C9 P167S AMD risk polymorphism displays increased polymerization and functional activity provides a rationale for the gene therapy trials of sCD59 to inhibit the terminal pathway of complement in AMD that are underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- O McMahon
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - T M Hallam
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - S Patel
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - C L Harris
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - A Menny
- Department of Life Sciences, Sir Ernst Chain Building, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - W M Zelek
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - R Widjajahakim
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - A Java
- Divisions of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - T E Cox
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - N Tzoumas
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - D H W Steel
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - V G Shuttleworth
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - K Smith-Jackson
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - V Brocklebank
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - H Griffiths
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - A J Cree
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - J P Atkinson
- Divisions of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - A J Lotery
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - D Bubeck
- Department of Life Sciences, Sir Ernst Chain Building, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - B P Morgan
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - K J Marchbank
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - J M Seddon
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - D Kavanagh
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
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24
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Histopathology of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Implications for Pathogenesis and Therapy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33847998 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-66014-7_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Aging is associated with a number of histological changes in the choroid, Bruch's membrane, RPE, and neuroretina. Outside of the normal physiologic aging spectrum of changes, abnormal deposits such as basal laminar deposits, basal linear deposits, and soft drusen are known to be associated with AMD. Progression of AMD to advanced stages involving geographic atrophy, choroidal neovascularization, and/or disciform scars can result in debilitating vision loss. Knowledge of the angiogenic pathway and its components that stimulate neovascularization has led to the development of a new paradigm of intravitreal anti-VEGF pharmacotherapy in the management of neovascular AMD. Currently however, there are no available treatments for the modification of disease progression in non-neovascular AMD, or for the treatment of geographic atrophy. Further understanding of the histopathology of AMD and the molecular mechanisms that contribute to pathogenesis of the disease may reveal additional therapeutic targets.
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25
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de Jong S, Gagliardi G, Garanto A, de Breuk A, Lechanteur YTE, Katti S, van den Heuvel LP, Volokhina EB, den Hollander AI. Implications of genetic variation in the complement system in age-related macular degeneration. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021; 84:100952. [PMID: 33610747 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.100952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of vision loss among the elderly in the Western world. While AMD is a multifactorial disease, the complement system was identified as one of the main pathways contributing to disease risk. The strong link between the complement system and AMD was demonstrated by genetic associations, and by elevated complement activation in local eye tissue and in the systemic circulation of AMD patients. Several complement inhibitors have been and are being explored in clinical trials, but thus far with limited success, leaving the majority of AMD patients without treatment options to date. This indicates that there is still a gap of knowledge regarding the functional implications of the complement system in AMD pathogenesis and how to bring these towards clinical translation. Many different experimental set-ups and disease models have been used to study complement activation in vivo and in vitro, and recently emerging patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells and genome-editing techniques open new opportunities to study AMD disease mechanisms and test new therapeutic strategies in the future. In this review we provide an extensive overview of methods employed to understand the molecular processes of complement activation in AMD pathogenesis. We discuss the findings, advantages and challenges of each approach and conclude with an outlook on how recent, exciting developments can fill in current knowledge gaps and can aid in the development of effective complement-targeting therapeutic strategies in AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Giuliana Gagliardi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Garanto
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anita de Breuk
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Yara T E Lechanteur
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Suresh Katti
- Gemini Therapeutics Inc., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Lambert P van den Heuvel
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Elena B Volokhina
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Immunological Aspects of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1256:143-189. [PMID: 33848001 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-66014-7_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence over the past two decades points to a pivotal role for immune mechanisms in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pathobiology. In this chapter, we will explore immunological aspects of AMD, with a specific focus on how immune mechanisms modulate clinical phenotypes of disease and severity and how components of the immune system may serve as triggers for disease progression in both dry and neovascular AMD. We will briefly review the biology of the immune system, defining the role of immune mechanisms in chronic degenerative disease and differentiating from immune responses to acute injury or infection. We will explore current understanding of the roles of innate immunity (especially macrophages), antigen-specific immunity (T cells, B cells, and autoimmunity), immune amplifications systems, especially complement activity and the NLRP3 inflammasome, in the pathogenesis of both dry and neovascular AMD, reviewing data from pathology, experimental animal models, and clinical studies of AMD patients. We will also assess how interactions between the immune system and infectious pathogens could potentially modulate AMD pathobiology via alterations in in immune effector mechanisms. We will conclude by reviewing the paradigm of "response to injury," which provides a means to integrate various immunologic mechanisms along with nonimmune mechanisms of tissue injury and repair as a model to understand the pathobiology of AMD.
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Acadesine suppresses TNF-α induced complement component 3 (C3), in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244307. [PMID: 33362238 PMCID: PMC7757886 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most prevalent form of irreversible blindness in the developed world. Aging, inflammation and complement dysregulation affecting the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), are considered significant contributors in its pathogenesis and several evidences have linked tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and complement component 3 (C3) with AMD. Acadesine, an analog of AMP and an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator, has been shown to have cytoprotective effects in human clinical trials as well as having anti-inflammatory and anti-vascular exudative effects in animals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if acadesine is able to suppress TNF-α induced C3 in RPE cells. Methods ARPE-19 and human primary RPE cells were cultured and allowed to grow to confluence. TNF-α was used for C3 induction in the presence or absence of acadesine. Small molecule inhibitors and siRNA were used to determine if acadesine exerts its effect via the extracellular or intracellular pathway and to evaluate the importance of AMPK for these effects. The expression level of C3 was determined by immunoblot analysis. Results Acadesine suppresses TNF-α induced C3 in a dose dependent manner. When we utilized the adenosine receptor inhibitor dipyridamole (DPY) along with acadesine, acadesine’s effects were abolished, indicating the necessity of acadesine to enter the cell in order to exert it’s action. However, pretreatment with 5-iodotubericidin (5-Iodo), an adenosine kinase (AK) inhibitor, didn’t prevent acadesine from decreasing TNF-α induced C3 expression suggesting that acadesine does not exert its effect through AMP conversion and subsequent activation of AMPK. Consistent with this, knockdown of AMPK α catalytic subunit did not affect the inhibitory effect of acadesine on TNF-α upregulation of C3. Conclusions Our results suggest that acadesine suppresses TNF-α induced C3, likely through an AMPK-independent pathway, and could have potential use in complement over activation diseases.
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Propson NE, Gedam M, Zheng H. Complement in Neurologic Disease. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2020; 16:277-298. [PMID: 33234021 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-031620-113409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Classic innate immune signaling pathways provide most of the immune response in the brain. This response activates many of the canonical signaling mechanisms identified in peripheral immune cells, despite their relative absence in this immune-privileged tissue. Studies over the past decade have strongly linked complement protein production and activation to age-related functional changes and neurodegeneration. The reactivation of the complement signaling pathway in aging and disease has opened new avenues for understanding brain aging and neurological disease pathogenesis and has implicated cell types such as astrocytes, microglia, endothelial cells, oligodendrocytes, neurons, and even peripheral immune cells in these processes. In this review, we aim to unravel the past decade of research related to complement activation and its numerous consequences in aging and neurological disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Propson
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Manasee Gedam
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Hui Zheng
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA;
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29
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Tzoumas N, Hallam D, Harris CL, Lako M, Kavanagh D, Steel DHW. Revisiting the role of factor H in age-related macular degeneration: Insights from complement-mediated renal disease and rare genetic variants. Surv Ophthalmol 2020; 66:378-401. [PMID: 33157112 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2020.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ophthalmologists are long familiar with the eye showing signs of systemic disease, but the association between age-related macular degeneration and abnormal complement activation, common to several renal disorders, has only recently been elucidated. Although complement activation products were identified in drusen almost three decades ago, it was not until the early 21st century that a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the complement factor H gene was identified as a major heritable determinant of age-related macular degeneration, galvanizing global efforts to unravel the pathogenesis of this common disease. Advances in proteomic analyses and familial aggregation studies have revealed distinctive clinical phenotypes segregated by the functional effects of common and rare genetic variants on the mature protein and its splice variant, factor H-like protein 1. The predominance of loss-of-function, N-terminal mutations implicate age-related macular degeneration as a disease of general complement dysregulation, offering several therapeutic avenues for its modulation. Here, we explore the molecular impact of these mutations/polymorphisms on the ability of variant factor H/factor H-like protein 1 to localize to polyanions, pentraxins, proinflammatory triggers, and cell surfaces across ocular and renal tissues and exert its multimodal regulatory functions and their clinical implications. Finally, we critically evaluate key therapeutic and diagnostic efforts in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Tzoumas
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
| | - Dean Hallam
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Claire L Harris
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Majlinda Lako
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - David Kavanagh
- Complement Therapeutics Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - David H W Steel
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Sunderland Eye Infirmary, Sunderland, United Kingdom
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30
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de Breuk A, Acar IE, Kersten E, Schijvenaars MMVAP, Colijn JM, Haer-Wigman L, Bakker B, de Jong S, Meester-Smoor MA, Verzijden T, Missotten TOAR, Monés J, Biarnés M, Pauleikhoff D, Hense HW, Silva R, Nunes S, Melo JB, Fauser S, Hoyng CB, Ueffing M, Coenen MJH, Klaver CCW, den Hollander AI. Development of a Genotype Assay for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The EYE-RISK Consortium. Ophthalmology 2020; 128:1604-1617. [PMID: 32717343 DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a genotype assay to assess associations with common and rare age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk variants, to calculate an overall genetic risk score (GRS), and to identify potential misdiagnoses with inherited macular dystrophies that mimic AMD. DESIGN Case-control study. PARTICIPANTS Individuals (n = 4740) from 5 European cohorts. METHODS We designed single-molecule molecular inversion probes for target selection and used next generation sequencing to sequence 87 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), coding and splice-site regions of 10 AMD-(related) genes (ARMS2, C3, C9, CD46, CFB, CFH, CFI, HTRA1, TIMP3, and SLC16A8), and 3 genes that cause inherited macular dystrophies (ABCA4, CTNNA1, and PRPH2). Genetic risk scores for common AMD risk variants were calculated based on effect size and genotype of 52 AMD-associated variants. Frequency of rare variants was compared between late AMD patients and control individuals with logistic regression analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Genetic risk score, association of genetic variants with AMD, and genotype-phenotype correlations. RESULTS We observed high concordance rates between our platform and other genotyping platforms for the 69 successfully genotyped SNPs (>96%) and for the rare variants (>99%). We observed a higher GRS for patients with late AMD compared with patients with early/intermediate AMD (P < 0.001) and individuals without AMD (P < 0.001). A higher proportion of pathogenic variants in the CFH (odds ratio [OR] = 2.88; P = 0.006), CFI (OR = 4.45; P = 0.005), and C3 (OR = 6.56; P = 0.0003) genes was observed in late AMD patients compared with control individuals. In 9 patients, we identified pathogenic variants in the PRPH2, ABCA4, and CTNNA1 genes, which allowed reclassification of these patients as having inherited macular dystrophy. CONCLUSIONS This study reports a genotype assay for common and rare AMD genetic variants, which can identify individuals at intermediate to high genetic risk of late AMD and enables differential diagnosis of AMD-mimicking dystrophies. Our study supports sequencing of CFH, CFI, and C3 genes because they harbor rare high-risk variants. Carriers of these variants could be amendable for new treatments for AMD that currently are under development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita de Breuk
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ilhan E Acar
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eveline Kersten
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mascha M V A P Schijvenaars
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna M Colijn
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lonneke Haer-Wigman
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bjorn Bakker
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Magda A Meester-Smoor
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Timo Verzijden
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jordi Monés
- Barcelona Macula Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de la Màcula, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Biarnés
- Barcelona Macula Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de la Màcula, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Hans W Hense
- Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Westfälische Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
| | - Rufino Silva
- Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (iCBR-FMUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sandrina Nunes
- Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana B Melo
- Cytogenetics and Genomics Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; iCBR-CIMAGO, Center of Investigation on Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sascha Fauser
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marius Ueffing
- Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marieke J H Coenen
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline C W Klaver
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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31
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Sitnilska V, Kersten E, Altay L, Schick T, Enders P, de Jong EK, Langmann T, Hoyng CB, den Hollander AI, Fauser S. Major Predictive Factors for Progression of Early to Late Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Ophthalmologica 2020; 243:444-452. [PMID: 32172233 DOI: 10.1159/000507196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We present a prediction model for progression from early/intermediate to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) within 5.9 years. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the combined role of genetic, nongenetic, and phenotypic risk factors for conversion from early to late AMD over ≥5 years. METHODS Baseline phenotypic characteristics were evaluated based on color fundus photography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and infrared images. Genotyping for 36 single-nucleotide polymorphisms as well as systemic lipid and complement measurements were performed. Multivariable backward logistic regression resulted in a final prediction model. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS During a mean of 5.9 years of follow-up, 22.4% (n = 52) of the patients (n = 232) showed progression to late AMD. The multivariable prediction model included age, CFH variant rs1061170, pigment abnormalities, drusenoid pigment epithelial detachment (DPED), and hyperreflective foci (HRF). The model showed an area under the curve of 0.969 (95% confidence interval 0.948-0.990) and adequate calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, p = 0.797). In addition to advanced age and carrying a CFH variant, pigment abnormalities, DPED, and HRF are relevant imaging biomarkers for conversion to late AMD. In clinical routine, an intensified monitoring of patients with a high-risk phenotypic profile may be suitable for the early detection of conversion to late AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasilena Sitnilska
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eveline Kersten
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lebriz Altay
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany,
| | - Tina Schick
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Philip Enders
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eiko K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Langmann
- Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sascha Fauser
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
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32
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Cipriani V, Lorés-Motta L, He F, Fathalla D, Tilakaratna V, McHarg S, Bayatti N, Acar İE, Hoyng CB, Fauser S, Moore AT, Yates JRW, de Jong EK, Morgan BP, den Hollander AI, Bishop PN, Clark SJ. Increased circulating levels of Factor H-Related Protein 4 are strongly associated with age-related macular degeneration. Nat Commun 2020; 11:778. [PMID: 32034129 PMCID: PMC7005798 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14499-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness. Genetic variants at the chromosome 1q31.3 encompassing the complement factor H (CFH, FH) and CFH related genes (CFHR1-5) are major determinants of AMD susceptibility, but their molecular consequences remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that FHR-4 plays a prominent role in AMD pathogenesis. We show that systemic FHR-4 levels are elevated in AMD (P-value = 7.1 × 10-6), whereas no difference is seen for FH. Furthermore, FHR-4 accumulates in the choriocapillaris, Bruch's membrane and drusen, and can compete with FH/FHL-1 for C3b binding, preventing FI-mediated C3b cleavage. Critically, the protective allele of the strongest AMD-associated CFH locus variant rs10922109 has the highest association with reduced FHR-4 levels (P-value = 2.2 × 10-56), independently of the AMD-protective CFHR1-3 deletion, and even in those individuals that carry the high-risk allele of rs1061170 (Y402H). Our findings identify FHR-4 as a key molecular player contributing to complement dysregulation in AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cipriani
- William Harvey Research Institute, Clinical Pharmacology, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK.
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK.
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Laura Lorés-Motta
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Fan He
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Dina Fathalla
- Systems Immunity URI, Division of Infection and Immunity, and UK DRI Cardiff, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Viranga Tilakaratna
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Selina McHarg
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Nadhim Bayatti
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - İlhan E Acar
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Sascha Fauser
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, 50924, Germany
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, 4070, Switzerland
| | - Anthony T Moore
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
- Ophthalmology Department, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John R W Yates
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Eiko K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - B Paul Morgan
- Systems Immunity URI, Division of Infection and Immunity, and UK DRI Cardiff, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, 6525 HR, The Netherlands
| | - Paul N Bishop
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
- Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M13 9WL, UK
| | - Simon J Clark
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
- The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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Kremlitzka M, Geerlings MJ, de Jong S, Bakker B, Nilsson SC, Fauser S, Hoyng CB, de Jong EK, den Hollander AI, Blom AM. Functional analyses of rare genetic variants in complement component C9 identified in patients with age-related macular degeneration. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:2678-2688. [PMID: 29767720 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive disease of the central retina and the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the western world. The involvement of abnormal complement activation in AMD has been suggested by association of variants in genes encoding complement proteins with disease development. A low-frequency variant (p.P167S) in the complement component C9 (C9) gene was recently shown to be highly associated with AMD; however, its functional outcome remains largely unexplored. In this study, we reveal five novel rare genetic variants (p.M45L, p.F62S, p.G126R, p.T170I and p.A529T) in C9 in AMD patients, and evaluate their functional effects in vitro together with the previously identified (p.R118W and p.P167S) C9 variants. Our results demonstrate that the concentration of C9 is significantly elevated in patients' sera carrying the p.M45L, p.F62S, p.P167S and p.A529T variants compared with non-carrier controls. However, no difference can be observed in soluble terminal complement complex levels between the carrier and non-carrier groups. Comparing the polymerization of the C9 variants we reveal that the p.P167S mutant spontaneously aggregates, while the other mutant proteins (except for C9 p.A529T) fail to polymerize in the presence of zinc. Altered polymerization of the p.F62S and p.P167S proteins associated with decreased lysis of sheep erythrocytes and adult retinal pigment epithelial-19 cells by carriers' sera. Our data suggest that the analyzed C9 variants affect only the secretion and polymerization of C9, without influencing its classical lytic activity. Future studies need to be performed to understand the implications of the altered polymerization of C9 in AMD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariann Kremlitzka
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö Sweden
| | - Maartje J Geerlings
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah de Jong
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö Sweden.,Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bjorn Bakker
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sara C Nilsson
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö Sweden
| | - Sascha Fauser
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eiko K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anna M Blom
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö Sweden
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Valencia E, Cruz-Alonso M, Álvarez L, González-Iglesias H, Fernández B, Pereiro R. Fluorescent silver nanoclusters as antibody label in a competitive immunoassay for the complement factor H. Mikrochim Acta 2019; 186:429. [DOI: 10.1007/s00604-019-3554-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Smith EN, D'Antonio-Chronowska A, Greenwald WW, Borja V, Aguiar LR, Pogue R, Matsui H, Benaglio P, Borooah S, D'Antonio M, Ayyagari R, Frazer KA. Human iPSC-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium: A Model System for Prioritizing and Functionally Characterizing Causal Variants at AMD Risk Loci. Stem Cell Reports 2019; 12:1342-1353. [PMID: 31080113 PMCID: PMC6565613 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluate whether human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (iPSC-RPE) cells can be used to prioritize and functionally characterize causal variants at age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk loci. We generated iPSC-RPE from six subjects and show that they have morphological and molecular characteristics similar to those of native RPE. We generated RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and H3K27ac ChIP-seq data and observed high similarity in gene expression and enriched transcription factor motif profiles between iPSC-RPE and human fetal RPE. We performed fine mapping of AMD risk loci by integrating molecular data from the iPSC-RPE, adult retina, and adult RPE, which identified rs943080 as the probable causal variant at VEGFA. We show that rs943080 is associated with altered chromatin accessibility of a distal ATAC-seq peak, decreased overall gene expression of VEGFA, and allele-specific expression of a non-coding transcript. Our study thus provides a potential mechanism underlying the association of the VEGFA locus with AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin N Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - William W Greenwald
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Victor Borja
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lana R Aguiar
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Robert Pogue
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Hiroko Matsui
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Paola Benaglio
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Shyamanga Borooah
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, School of Clinical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Matteo D'Antonio
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Radha Ayyagari
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kelly A Frazer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine East, 9500 Gilman Drive #0761, La Jolla, CA 92093-0761, USA.
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36
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Schellevis RL, van Dijk EHC, Breukink MB, Keunen JEE, Santen GWE, Hoyng CB, de Jong EK, Boon CJF, den Hollander AI. Exome sequencing in families with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2019; 7:e00576. [PMID: 30724488 PMCID: PMC6465660 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a chorioretinal disease characterized by fluid accumulation between the neuroretina and retinal pigment epithelium with unknown etiology. Family studies have suggested a heritable component for CSC with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Therefore, exome sequencing was performed on familial cCSC to indentify the genetic components contributing to familial cCSC. METHODS Exome sequencing was performed on 72 individuals of 18 families with CSC. In these families, we determined whether rare genetic variants (minor allele frequency < 1%) were segregated with CSC and also performed familial gene-burden analysis. RESULTS In total, 11 variants segregated in two out of 18 families. One of these variants, c.4145C>T; p.T1382I (rs61758735) in the PTPRB gene, was also associated with CSC in a large case-control cohort sequenced previously (p = 0.009). Additionally, in 28 genes two or more different heterozygous variants segregated in two or more families, but no gene showed consistent associations in both the family gene-burden results and gene-burden analysis in the case-control cohort. CONCLUSION We identified potential candidate genes for familial CSC and managed to exclude Mendelian inheritance of variants in one or a limited number of genes. Instead, familial CSC may be a heterogeneous Mendelian disease caused by variants in many different genes, or alternatively CSC may represent a complex disease to which both environmental factors and genetics contribute.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa L Schellevis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Elon H C van Dijk
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Myrte B Breukink
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan E E Keunen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gijs W E Santen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eiko K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Camiel J F Boon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Chrzanowska M, Modrzejewska A, Modrzejewska M. New insight into the role of the complement in the most common types of retinopathy-current literature review. Int J Ophthalmol 2018; 11:1856-1864. [PMID: 30450319 DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2018.11.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological neovascularisation, which is a critical component of diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), is a frequent cause of compromised vision or blindness. Researchers continuously investigate the role of the complement system in the pathogenesis of retinopathy. Studies have confirmed the role of factors H and I in the development of AMD, and factors H and B in the development of DR. Other components, such as C2, C3, and C5, have also been considered. However, findings on the involvement of the complement system in the pathogenesis of ROP are still inconclusive. This paper presents a review of the current literature data, pointing to the novel results and achievements from research into the role of complement components in the development of retinopathy. There is still a need to continue research in new directions, and to gather more detailed information about this problem which will be useful in the treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna Chrzanowska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin 70-111, Poland
| | - Anna Modrzejewska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin 70-111, Poland
| | - Monika Modrzejewska
- Department of Ophthalmology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin 70-111, Poland
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38
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Geerlings MJ, Volokhina EB, de Jong EK, van de Kar N, Pauper M, Hoyng CB, van den Heuvel LP, den Hollander AI. Genotype-phenotype correlations of low-frequency variants in the complement system in renal disease and age-related macular degeneration. Clin Genet 2018; 94:330-338. [PMID: 29888403 PMCID: PMC6175426 DOI: 10.1111/cge.13392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Genetic alterations in the complement system have been linked to a variety of diseases, including atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), C3 glomerulopathy (C3G), and age‐related macular degeneration (AMD). We performed sequence analysis of the complement genes complement factor H (CFH), complement factor I (CFI), and complement C3 (C3) in 866 aHUS/C3G and 697 AMD patients. In total, we identified 505 low‐frequency alleles, representing 121 unique variants, of which 51 are novel. CFH contained the largest number of unique low‐frequency variants (n = 64; 53%), followed by C3 (n = 32; 26%) and CFI (n = 25; 21%). A substantial number of variants were found in both patients groups (n = 48; 40%), while 41 (34%) variants were found only in aHUS/C3G and 32 (26%) variants were AMD specific. Genotype‐phenotype correlations between the disease groups identified a higher frequency of protein altering alleles in short consensus repeat 20 (SCR20) of factor H (FH), and in the serine protease domain of factor I (FI) in aHUS/C3G patients. In AMD, a higher frequency of protein‐altering alleles was observed in SCR3, SCR5, and SCR7 of FH, the SRCR domain of FI, and in the MG3 domain of C3. In conclusion, we observed a substantial overlap of variants between aHUS/C3G and AMD; however, there is a distinct clustering of variants within specific domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Geerlings
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - E B Volokhina
- Radboud university medical center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Amalia Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - E K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N van de Kar
- Radboud university medical center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Amalia Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Pauper
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - C B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - L P van den Heuvel
- Radboud university medical center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Amalia Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Pediatrics, Department of Growth and Regeneration, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - A I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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39
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Lorés-Motta L, de Jong EK, den Hollander AI. Exploring the Use of Molecular Biomarkers for Precision Medicine in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Mol Diagn Ther 2018; 22:315-343. [PMID: 29700787 PMCID: PMC5954014 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-018-0332-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Precision medicine aims to improve patient care by adjusting medication to each patient's individual needs. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a heterogeneous eye disease in which several pathways are involved, and the risk factors driving the disease differ per patient. As a consequence, precision medicine holds promise for improved management of this disease, which is nowadays a main cause of vision loss in the elderly. In this review, we provide an overview of the studies that have evaluated the use of molecular biomarkers to predict response to treatment in AMD. We predominantly focus on genetic biomarkers, but also include studies that examined circulating or eye fluid biomarkers in treatment response. This involves studies on treatment response to dietary supplements, response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, and response to complement inhibitors. In addition, we highlight promising new therapies that have been or are currently being tested in clinical trials and discuss the molecular studies that can help identify the most suitable patients for these upcoming therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lorés-Motta
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Philips van Leydenlaan 15, 6525 EX, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eiko K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Philips van Leydenlaan 15, 6525 EX, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Philips van Leydenlaan 15, 6525 EX, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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40
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Warwick A, Lotery A. Genetics and genetic testing for age-related macular degeneration. Eye (Lond) 2018; 32:849-857. [PMID: 29125146 PMCID: PMC5944647 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2017.245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable advances have been made in our understanding of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) genetics over the past decade. The genetic associations discovered to date are estimated to account for approximately half of AMD heritability, and functional studies of these variants have revealed new insights into disease pathogenesis, leading to the development of potential novel therapies. There is furthermore growing interest in genetic testing for predicting an individual's risk of AMD and offering personalised preventive or therapeutic treatments. We review the progress made so far in AMD genetics and discuss the possible applications for genetic testing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A Lotery
- Clinical Neurosciences Research Group, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
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41
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Kersten E, Geerlings MJ, den Hollander AI, de Jong EK, Fauser S, Peto T, Hoyng CB. Phenotype Characteristics of Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration Carrying a Rare Variant in the Complement Factor H Gene. JAMA Ophthalmol 2017; 135:1037-1044. [PMID: 28859202 DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.3195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Importance Rare variants in the complement factor H (CFH) gene and their association with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have been described. However, there is limited literature on the phenotypes accompanying these rare variants. Phenotypical characteristics could help ophthalmologists select patients for additional genetic testing. Objective To describe the phenotypical characteristics of patients with AMD carrying a rare variant in the CFH gene. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cross-sectional study, we searched the genetic database of the department of ophthalmology at the Radboudumc (tertiary ophthalmologic referral center) and the European Genetic Database for patients with AMD with a rare genetic variant in the CFH gene. Patient recruitment took place from March 30, 2006, to February 18, 2013, and data were analyzed from November 30, 2015, to May 8, 2017. Phenotypical features on fundus photographs of both eyes of patients were graded by 2 independent reading center graders masked for carrier status. Main Outcomes and Measures Differences in phenotypical characteristics between rare variant carriers and noncarriers were analyzed using univariable generalized estimated equations logistic regression models accounting for intereye correlation. Results Analyses included 100 eyes of 51 patients with AMD carrying a CFH variant (mean [SD] age, 66.7 [12.1] years; 64.7% female) and 204 eyes of 102 age-matched noncarriers (mean [SD] age, 67.1 [11.8] years; 54.9% female). Carrying a rare pathogenic CFH variant was associated with larger drusen area (odds ratio range, 6.98 [95% CI, 2.04-23.89] to 18.50 [95% CI, 2.19-155.99]; P = .002), presence of drusen with crystalline appearance (odds ratio, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.24-8.50; P = .02), and drusen nasal to the optic disc (odds ratio range, 4.03 [95% CI, 1.70-9.56] to 7.42 [95% CI, 0.65-84.84]; P = .003). Conclusions and Relevance Identification of rare CFH variant carriers may be important for upcoming complement-inhibiting therapies. Patients with an extensive drusen area, drusen with crystalline appearance, and drusen nasal to the optic disc are more likely to have a rare variant in the CFH gene. However, it is not likely that carriers can be discriminated from noncarriers based solely on phenotypical characteristics from color fundus images. Therefore, ophthalmologists should consider genetic testing in patients with these phenotypic characteristics in combination with other patient characteristics, such as early onset, cuticular drusen on fluorescein angiography, and family history of AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eveline Kersten
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Maartje J Geerlings
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eiko K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sascha Fauser
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tunde Peto
- Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Kersten E, Paun CC, Schellevis RL, Hoyng CB, Delcourt C, Lengyel I, Peto T, Ueffing M, Klaver CCW, Dammeier S, den Hollander AI, de Jong EK. Systemic and ocular fluid compounds as potential biomarkers in age-related macular degeneration. Surv Ophthalmol 2017; 63:9-39. [PMID: 28522341 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Biomarkers can help unravel mechanisms of disease and identify new targets for therapy. They can also be useful in clinical practice for monitoring disease progression, evaluation of treatment efficacy, and risk assessment in multifactorial diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a highly prevalent progressive retinal disorder for which multiple genetic and environmental risk factors have been described, but the exact etiology is not yet fully understood. Many compounds have been evaluated for their association with AMD. We performed an extensive literature review of all compounds measured in serum, plasma, vitreous, aqueous humor, and urine of AMD patients. Over 3600 articles were screened, resulting in more than 100 different compounds analyzed in AMD studies, involved in neovascularization, immunity, lipid metabolism, extracellular matrix, oxidative stress, diet, hormones, and comorbidities (such as kidney disease). For each compound, we provide a short description of its function and discuss the results of the studies in relation to its usefulness as AMD biomarker. In addition, biomarkers identified by hypothesis-free techniques, including metabolomics, proteomics, and epigenomics, are covered. In summary, compounds belonging to the oxidative stress pathway, the complement system, and lipid metabolism are the most promising biomarker candidates for AMD. We hope that this comprehensive survey of the literature on systemic and ocular fluid compounds as potential biomarkers in AMD will provide a stepping stone for future research and possible implementation in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eveline Kersten
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Constantin C Paun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Rosa L Schellevis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Carel B Hoyng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Cécile Delcourt
- Université de Bordeaux, ISPED, Bordeaux, France; INSERM, U1219-Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Imre Lengyel
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Tunde Peto
- Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Marius Ueffing
- Department for Ophthalmology and Medical Bioanalytics Centre Tübingen, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Caroline C W Klaver
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sascha Dammeier
- Department for Ophthalmology and Medical Bioanalytics Centre Tübingen, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eiko K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Geerlings MJ, de Jong EK, den Hollander AI. The complement system in age-related macular degeneration: A review of rare genetic variants and implications for personalized treatment. Mol Immunol 2016; 84:65-76. [PMID: 27939104 PMCID: PMC5380947 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2016.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 11/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The complement system plays a central role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Common and rare genetic variants in complement genes have been identified in AMD. Several of the rare variants affect the functioning of the complement system. However, a genetic association with AMD cannot always be proven. Functional assays can help identify patients for complement inhibiting therapies.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive retinal disease and the major cause of irreversible vision loss in the elderly. Numerous studies have found both common and rare genetic variants in the complement pathway to play a role in the pathogenesis of AMD. In this review we provide an overview of rare variants identified in AMD patients, and summarize the functional consequences of rare genetic variation in complement genes on the complement system. Finally, we discuss the relevance of this work in light of ongoing clinical trials that study the effectiveness of complement inhibitors against AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maartje J Geerlings
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eiko K de Jong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anneke I den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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