Preliminary analysis of the relationship between serum lutein and zeaxanthin levels and macular pigment optical density - PubMed (original) (raw)

Preliminary analysis of the relationship between serum lutein and zeaxanthin levels and macular pigment optical density

Shigeto Fujimura et al. Clin Ophthalmol. 2016.

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the relationship between combined serum lutein and zeaxanthin (L+Z) concentration and macular pigment optical density (MPOD), and to investigate the effect of L+Z+docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) dietary supplementation on the spatial distribution of MPOD.

Methods: Twenty healthy fellow eyes with unilateral wet age-related macular degeneration or chronic central serous chorioretinopathy were included. All participants received a dietary supplement for 6 months that contained 20 mg L, 1 mg Z, and 200 mg DHA. The best-corrected visual acuity and contrast sensitivity (CS) were measured at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months. Serum L+Z concentrations were measured at baseline and at 3 months. MPOD was calculated at each time point using fundus autofluorescent images.

Results: Serum L+Z concentration was correlated with MPOD at 1°-2° eccentricity at baseline (_r_=0.63, _P_=0.003) and 3 months (_r_=0.53, _P_=0.015). Serum L+Z concentration increased by a factor of 2.3±1.0 (P<0.0001). At 6 months, MPOD was significantly higher compared to the baseline level at 0°-0.25° (_P_=0.034) and 0.25°-0.5° (_P_=0.032) eccentricity. CS improved after 3 or 6 months of L+Z+DHA supplementation (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Juxtafoveal MPOD was associated with serum L+Z concentration. Foveal MPOD was increased by L+Z+DHA dietary supplementation.

Keywords: fundus autofluorescence; spatial distribution; supplement.

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Conflict of interest statement

The current study was supported by Santen Pharmaceuticals, but they had no role in the design or conduct of this research. The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Schematic diagram of macular pigment optical density measurements taken using fundus autofluorescence images. Notes: First, the lowest gray value in the entire image was subtracted from the gray values of all pixels. Next, the subtracted gray values inside the circle of 0.25° eccentricity, and the annular zone within 0.25°–0.5°, 0.5°–1°, 1°–2°, and 7° eccentricity were averaged to obtain the mean gray values of _I_0.25°, _I_0.5°, _I_1°, _I_2°, and _I_7°, respectively.

Figure 2

Figure 2

Correlation between combined serum L+Z concentration and juxtafoveal MPOD. Notes: The serum concentration of L+Z was significantly and positively correlated with MPOD at 1°–2° eccentricity (MPOD2°), both at baseline (A; _r_=0.63, _P_=0.003) and at 3 months after initiation of supplemental intake (B; _r_=0.53, _P_=0.015). Abbreviations: DU, density units; L+Z, lutein + zeaxanthin; MPOD, macular pigment optical density.

Figure 3

Figure 3

Change in contrast sensitivity with L+Z+DHA dietary supplementation. Note: *Indicates a significant change from baseline (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P<0.05). Abbreviations: DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; L, lutein; Z, zeaxanthin.

Figure 4

Figure 4

Change in MPOD with lutein + zeaxanthin dietary supplementation. Note: *Indicates a significant change from baseline (paired _t_-test, P<0.05). Abbreviations: DU, density units; MPOD, macular pigment optical density.

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