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Arch Ophthalmol. 2004;122:1873-1876.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Subfoveal choroidal neovascularization of various macular diseases is one of the causes of severe blindness, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Several environmental risk factors have been elucidated in the pathogenesis of AMD, including smoking,¹ atherosclerosis,² increased levels of plasma fibrinogen,³ and low levels of antioxidant vitamins.⁴ Recent observations support the hypothesis that antioxidant and/or vitamin treatment may delay progression of AMD and vision loss.⁵ However, the exact cause of AMD remains to be determined.

Recently, Ikeda et al⁶ showed that increased plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels may be involved in the pathogenesis of AMD. Oxidized LDL has been implicated as having a major role in atherosclerosis, and many of the pathologic and biochemical features seen in choroidal neovascularization are analogous to those seen in advanced atherosclerosis, such as the infiltration of monocytes and macrophages and the overexpression of adhesion molecules, monocyte chemotactic proteins, growth factors, and cytokines within lesions.^7-8 . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Megumi Honjo, MD, PhD; Tatsuya Sawamura, MD, PhD; Junichi Hinagata, PhD; Kayo Nakamura, PhD; Nobuhito Sanada, PhD; Hidenobu Tanihara, MD, PhD; Yoshihito Honda, MD, PhD; Junichi Kiryu, MD, PhD