Primary versus Secondary Elevations in Fundus Autofluorescence
The method of quantitative fundus autofluorescence (qAF) can be used to assess the levels of bisretinoids in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells so as to aid the interpretation and management of a variety of retinal conditions. In this review, we focused on seven retinal diseases to highlight the...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/15/12327 |
| Summary: | The method of quantitative fundus autofluorescence (qAF) can be used to assess the levels of bisretinoids in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells so as to aid the interpretation and management of a variety of retinal conditions. In this review, we focused on seven retinal diseases to highlight the possible pathways to increased fundus autofluorescence. <i>ABCA4</i>- and <i>RDH12</i>-associated diseases benefit from known mechanisms whereby gene malfunctioning leads to elevated bisretinoid levels in RPE cells. On the other hand, <i>peripherin2/RDS</i>-associated disease (<i>PRPH2/RDS</i>), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR), and <i>ceramide kinase like</i> (<i>CERKL</i>)-associated retinal degeneration all express abnormally high fundus autofluorescence levels without a demonstrated pathophysiological pathway for bisretinoid elevation. We suggest that, while a known link from gene mutation to increased production of bisretinoids (as in <i>ABCA4</i>- and <i>RDH12</i>-associated diseases) causes primary elevation in fundus autofluorescence, a secondary autofluorescence elevation also exists, where an impairment and degeneration of photoreceptor cells by various causes leads to an increase in bisretinoid levels in RPE cells. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |