Comparison of maculer autoflorecance changes, lipid profile, serum lutein and zeaxhantin levels due to age groups

Purpose: To investigate the relation between macula pigment optical density (MPOD), central macular thickness (CMT) and lipofuscin density and to evaluate the relation of MPOD, CMT and lipofuscin density with age, lipid profile, serum lutein and zeaksantin levels of the patients. Material and Method: Eighty patients with age related macula degeneration (AMD) and 80 healthy control cases were included into the study. Patients were followed for a mean time of 15,8 months with an interval between 1 and 3 months which arranged in individual cases. Patients with dry AMD were accepted as Group 1, patients with wet AMD were accepted as Group 2, and control cases were accepted as Group 3. Lutein 10 mg and 2 mg zeaksantin were given to Group 1 and 2. Patients in Group 3 were observed without any medication. Color fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence and macula pigment optical density measurement were performed in all visits. Serum lutein and zeaksantin levels were measured at all visits. Lipid profile was determined at the first visit in all cases. Three groups were compared regarding the measured parameters. Results: One hundred forty seven eyes with initial AMD diagnosis and 153 eyes of control cases were evaluated in the study. Ninety-nine eyes were with dry and 48 eyes were with wet AMD. Three groups were similar in regard to age and gender. In Group 2, BCVA was significantly worse when compared with the other groups. There was no difference between groups and age groups in regard to macula pigment optical density at initial or last visit. Serum lutein and zeaxhantin levels were also similar in all groups. There was significant relation between BCVA and age, CMT, maxMPOD and FAF. Central macular thickness was correlated with FAF and BCVA. The macula pigment density in patients with AMD was improved until 6 moths, and this improvement was correlated with the improvement in the serum levels of lutein and zeaxhantin. There was no relation between initial macula pigment optical density and age, gender, FAF, and lipit levels, whereas BCVA and CMT were related with initial macula pigment density. Conclusion: We did not find any relation between macula pigment optical density and lipofuscin. Macula pigment density was not affected by age, gender, presence of AMD or the type of AMD. We observed that macula pigment optical density of patients with AMD increased with supportive treatment at least for first 6 months. In light of our findings, we feel that diseases mainly affect the retinal pigment epithelium or choroid do not change the macula pigment optical density.