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  • Title: Phenotypic variation of retinal pigment epithelium in age-related macular degeneration.
    Author: Guidry C, Medeiros NE, Curcio CA.
    Journal: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci; 2002 Jan; 43(1):267-73. PubMed ID: 11773041.
    Abstract:
    PURPOSE: To determine whether retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in eyes with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) express vimentin and alpha smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA), two cytoskeletal proteins associated with phenotypic variation in culture. METHODS: Six eyes with late ARMD and three age-matched control eyes were preserved in buffered 4% paraformaldehyde and cryosectioned at 10 microm. Stages of RPE morphology and pigmentation were assessed by the Alabama Age-Related Macular Degeneration Grading System. Vimentin, alphaSMA, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression was detected by indirect immunofluorescence. These results were compared with regional variations in disease severity. RESULTS: RPE changes in ARMD included acquired expression of vimentin, but alphaSMA-positive cells were rare. GFAP expression increased in Müller cells in the neural retina in association with RPE changes and photoreceptor degeneration. CONCLUSIONS: The initial stages of RPE changes in eyes with ARMD mimic those reported for cultured RPE cells. The absence of alphaSMA-positive cells in regions of RPE atrophy suggests that RPE are lost rather than persist in a dedifferentiated state.
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