Objective To measure the macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and investigate the effects of lutein supplementation on MPOD in patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Methods Forty-two early AMD eyes, which have been diagnosed by visual acuity, fundus photography and indirect ophthalmoscopy, and 42 fellow eyes were enrolled in this study. Lutein was administered in dose of 15.1 mg daily for one month. The MPOD value before and after lutein supplementation were measured by heterochromatic flicker photometry. The relationship between the MPOD value and lutein supplementation was analyzed.Results The MPOD value of AMD eyes and fellow eyes before lutein supplementation was 0.347plusmn;0.182 and 0.426plusmn;0.173 respectively, the difference was statistically significant (t=-2.042,P=0.044). The MPOD value of AMD eyes and fellow eyes after lutein supplementation was 0.406plusmn;0.155 and 0.446plusmn;0.128 respectively, the difference was not statistically significant (t=-1.283,P=0.203). For AMD eyes, there was an increasing trend of MPOD values after lutein supplementation, but no statistically significant differences (t=-1.594,P=0.115). Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between the changes of MPOD and initial MPOD in both AMD eyes (r=-0.552,P=0.000) and the fellow eyes (r=-0.731,P=0.000).Conclusions Early AMD eyes have less MPOD. Lutein supplementation may play a role in enhancing the MPOD in these eyes.
ObjectiveTo study the relationship between macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and serum concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin in an adult population. MethodsTwenty patients with mild cataract and 39 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study, including 15 males and 44 females. The average age was 43.75 years. Fifty-three subjects were non-smokers and 6 male subjects were smokers. Two subjects preferred meat diet, 22 preferred meat-less diet, and 35 have balanced diet. MPOD was measured using heterochromatic flicker photometry at 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.75 degrees, and serum concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. The relationship between MPOD and serum concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin was analyzed. The differences of serum lutein and zeaxanthin between different gender, smokers and non-smokers and subjects with different dietary pattern were also analyzed. ResultsMPOD at 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.75 degrees were 0.59, 0.48, 0.34 and 0.18, and the average concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin were (0.45±0.16) μmol/L and (0.11±0.04) μmol/L respectively. Serum concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin in males were slightly higher than that in females, but it was not statistically significant (t=1.13, 0.86; P=0.27, 0.40). The differences of serum lutien and zeaxanthin between smokers and non-smokers (t=-0.15, -0.11; P=0.87, 0.91), among subjects of 3 dietary patterns groups were not statistically significant (Flutein=3.87, 4.05, 0.18; P=0.83, 0.81, 0.99. Fzeaxanthin＝0.99, 1.51, 0.52; P＝0.85, 0.68, 0.72). There was no correlation between MPOD and serum concentration of lutein (r=-0.06,-0.02,-0.07,0.03;P>0.05)and zeaxanthin(r=0.02,0.12,0.09,0.11;P>0.05). ConclusionMPOD was not statistically significantly correlated with serum concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin in the studied population.