Age-related Macular Degeneration and DHEA

Am J Ophthalmol. 2006 Nov 13; [Epub ahead of print]

Serum Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate Level in Age-related Macular
Degeneration

Tamer C, Oksuz H, Sogut S.
Ophthalmology Department.

PURPOSE: To evaluate plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) levels
in patients diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and
controls. DESIGN: Case-controlled, prospective, comparative
noninterventional study. METHODS: This study involved 32 men and 35 women
with exudative AMD, 37 men and 38 women with nonexudative AMD, and 32 men
and 32 women of an age-matched control group. The Wisconsin Age-Related
Maculopathy Grading System was used to asses the severity of AMD lesions.
DHEAS levels were measured and compared according to a gender based
subdivision. Analysis of variance was used to assess the association
between DHEAS and AMD. Linear regression model was used to examine the
relation among DHEAS level and AMD severity scale. RESULTS: Mean +/- SD of
DHEAS levels in exudative AMD, nonexudative AMD, and controls in men was
2.67 +/- 0.68 mumol/l, 2.89 +/- 0.95 mumol/l, and 4.43 +/- 1.44 mumol/l,
respectively (P = .001), and in women was 1.64 +/- 0.72 mumol/l, 1.85 +/-
0.73 mumol/l, and 2.78 +/- 0.91 mumol/l, respectively (P = .001). Post hoc
Tukey analyses revealed a significant reduction in serum DHEAS level in
both AMD groups, compared with controls for men and women (P = .001), while
no difference was found between AMD groups in both men and women (P = .668
and 0.49, respectively). Regression analyses revealed an inverse
correlation among serum DHEAS level and AMD severity scale both in men and
women (P = .006 and .007, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests
an inverse correlation between serum DHEAS level and AMD severity scale
with a considerably reduced DHEAS level in AMD.