Original Paper

Changes in Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Level in Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Özlem Yldrm^a, Nurcan Aras Ate^b, Lülüfer Tamer^c, Necati Mulu^c, Bahadr Ercan^c, Uur Atik^c, Arzu Kank^d

Departments of
^aOphthalmology,
^bMedical Biology and Genetics,
^cBiochemistry, and
^dBiostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey

Address of Corresponding Author

Ophthalmologica 2004;218:202-206 (DOI: 10.1159/000076845)

  Key Words

• Age-related macular degeneration
• Catalase
• Malondialdehyde
• Aging and oxidative stress

  Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of legal blindness in the developed world, and yet its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Oxidative stress may play a major role in the etiology and pathogenesis of age-related disorders such as age-related macular degeneration. Catalase is an antioxidant enzyme which plays an important role in the detoxification of free oxygen radicals. Malondialdehyde is a marker that shows free radical damage. We have measured the erythrocyte activity of catalase and the serum level of malondialdehyde in 30 patients with age-related macular degeneration and 60 healthy subjects. Patients with age-related macular degeneration showed significantly lower catalase activity compared to healthy subjects (p = 0.002). Plasma malondialdehyde level of the patient group was significantly higher than that of the controls (p = 0.038).

Copyright © 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Özlem Yldrm, MD
Mersin Üniversitesi Tp Fakültesi Hastanesi
Zeytinlibahçe Cad.
TR-33070 Mersin (Turkey)
Tel. +90 324 337 4300/1103, Fax +90 324 337 4305, E-Mail dryildirimoz@hotmail.com

  Article Information

Received: May 2, 2003
Accepted after revision: October 9, 2003
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 35