Interlink between Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Role of Complement Factor H

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) heads the list of legal blindness among the elderly population in developed countries. Due to the complex nature of the retina and the variety of risk factors and mechanisms involved, the molecular pathways underlying AMD are not yet fully defined. Persistent low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress eventually lead to retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction and outer blood–retinal barrier (oBRB) breakdown. The identification of AMD susceptibility genes encoding complement factors, and the presence of inflammatory mediators in drusen, the hallmark deposits of AMD, supports the notion that immune-mediated processes are major drivers of AMD pathobiology. Complement factor H (FH), the main regulator of the alternative pathway of the complement system, may have a key contribution in the pathogenesis of AMD as it is able to regulate both inflammatory and oxidative stress responses in the oBRB. Indeed, genetic variants in the CFH gene account for the strongest genetic risk factors for AMD. In this review, we focus on the roles of inflammation and oxidative stress and their connection with FH and related proteins as regulators of both phenomena in the context of AMD.