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Computational modeling of retinal hypoxia and photoreceptor degeneration in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Publication ,  Journal Article
McHugh, KJ; Li, D; Wang, JC; Kwark, L; Loo, J; Macha, V; Farsiu, S; Kim, LA; Saint-Geniez, M
Published in: PloS one
January 2019

Although drusen have long been acknowledged as a primary hallmark of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) their role in the disease remains unclear. We hypothesize that drusen accumulation increases the barrier to metabolite transport ultimately resulting in photoreceptor cell death. To investigate this hypothesis, a computational model was developed to evaluate steady-state oxygen distribution in the retina. Optical coherence tomography images from fifteen AMD patients and six control subjects were segmented and translated into 3D in silico representations of retinal morphology. A finite element model was then used to determine the steady-state oxygen distribution throughout the retina for both generic and patient-specific retinal morphology. Oxygen levels were compared to the change in retinal thickness at a later time point to observe possible correlations. The generic finite element model of oxygen concentration in the retina agreed closely with both experimental measurements from literature and clinical observations, including the minimal pathological drusen size identified by AREDS (64 μm). Modeling oxygen distribution in the outer retina of AMD patients showed a substantially stronger correlation between hypoxia and future retinal thinning (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.2162) than between drusen height and retinal thinning (r = 0.0303) indicating the potential value of this physiology-based approach. This study presents proof-of-concept for the potential utility of finite element modeling in evaluating retinal health and also suggests a potential link between transport and AMD pathogenesis. This strategy may prove useful as a prognostic tool for predicting the clinical risk of AMD progression.

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Published In

PloS one

DOI

EISSN

1932-6203

ISSN

1932-6203

Publication Date

January 2019

Volume

14

Issue

6

Start / End Page

e0216215

Related Subject Headings

  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Retina
  • Proof of Concept Study
  • Oxygen
  • Male
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Humans
  • General Science & Technology
  • Finite Element Analysis
 

Citation

APA
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McHugh, K. J., Li, D., Wang, J. C., Kwark, L., Loo, J., Macha, V., … Saint-Geniez, M. (2019). Computational modeling of retinal hypoxia and photoreceptor degeneration in patients with age-related macular degeneration. PloS One, 14(6), e0216215. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216215
McHugh, Kevin J., Dian Li, Jay C. Wang, Leon Kwark, Jessica Loo, Venkata Macha, Sina Farsiu, Leo A. Kim, and Magali Saint-Geniez. “Computational modeling of retinal hypoxia and photoreceptor degeneration in patients with age-related macular degeneration.PloS One 14, no. 6 (January 2019): e0216215. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216215.
McHugh KJ, Li D, Wang JC, Kwark L, Loo J, Macha V, et al. Computational modeling of retinal hypoxia and photoreceptor degeneration in patients with age-related macular degeneration. PloS one. 2019 Jan;14(6):e0216215.
McHugh, Kevin J., et al. “Computational modeling of retinal hypoxia and photoreceptor degeneration in patients with age-related macular degeneration.PloS One, vol. 14, no. 6, Jan. 2019, p. e0216215. Epmc, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216215.
McHugh KJ, Li D, Wang JC, Kwark L, Loo J, Macha V, Farsiu S, Kim LA, Saint-Geniez M. Computational modeling of retinal hypoxia and photoreceptor degeneration in patients with age-related macular degeneration. PloS one. 2019 Jan;14(6):e0216215.

Published In

PloS one

DOI

EISSN

1932-6203

ISSN

1932-6203

Publication Date

January 2019

Volume

14

Issue

6

Start / End Page

e0216215

Related Subject Headings

  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Retina
  • Proof of Concept Study
  • Oxygen
  • Male
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Humans
  • General Science & Technology
  • Finite Element Analysis