Abstract

Purpose Taurine is one of the most abundant free amino acids in many tissues, including the retina. It is a scavenger of hypochlorite and carbonyl radicals and also inhibits lipid peroxidation. Little is know about the role of taurine in the pathogenesis of AMD. The purpose of this study was to determine the plasma levels of taurine in AMD patients and in age-matched subjects without AMD.
Methods Plasma taurine levels were measured by capillary electrophoresis in 74 AMD patients (mean age: 78±6.7 years) and in 148 controls (mean age: 77±5.3 years), all accrued in September 2011-March 2012. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test.
Results Median taurine was 64.7 (range 28.6-127.2) µmol/L in AMD patients and 65.8 (range 28.1-132.3) µmol/L in controls. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups.
Conclusion Results suggest that AMD patients may have similar plasma levels of taurine as matched controls without AMD. Should these results be confirmed by larger studies, this would imply that taurine may play a marginal or no role in the pathogenesis of AMD.

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