Relationship Of MicroRNAs 146a and 155 With Systemic Inflammatory Cytokines In Age-Related Macular Degeneration

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Presentation Time: 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
Poster Board Number: B687
Abstract ID: 7973

Presenting Author:
Marisa Cruz-Aguilar , Relationship Of MicroRNAs 146a and 155 With Systemic Inflammatory Cytokines In Age-Related Macular Degeneration. at Inst. de Oftalmología Fundación Conde de Valenciana

Abstract:

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness among the elderly population, categorized into dry (dAMD) and wet (wAMD) forms. The mechanisms underlying AMD are unclear. Molecular and immune imbalances are proposed. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate inflammation, angiogenesis and other processes involved in the pathogenesis of AMD. The study aimed to explore correlations between the systemic expression of inflammatory factors and selected miRNAs to unveil AMD mechanisms and identification of disease-specific prognosis biomarkers.

Methods: Serum cytokines and expression of miR-146a and miR-155 of 48 AMD patients and controls were analyzed with flow cytometry and RT-PCR respectively. Statistical analysis included the Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results: Comparing with controls, serum of wAMD showed higher concentrations of IL-6, IL-10, VEGF, and low expression of miR-146a or miR-155, while dAMD patients displayed higher IL-8 and IL-10 and no differences in miRNAs levels. Significant differences in TNF-α, VEGF and IL-8 were observed between AMD groups with miRNAs expressions notably diminished in wet versus dAMD.

Conclusions: IL-8, TNF-α, VEGF and miRNAs 146a and 155 expressions could serve as distinctive systemic markers between wet and dAMD. The deregulation of miRNAs 146a and 155 negatively impact inflammatory pathways and VEGF-dependent angiogenesis in patients with wAMD suggesting an inflammatory mechanism underlying AMD development.