International Review of Ophthalmology ›› 2012, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (2): 128-133.doi: 10. 3760/ cma. j. issn16735803. 2012. 02. 011

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Tissue factor and agerelated macular degeneration  

PENG Wen-yan, YU Ying, CHEN Hui.   

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
  • Received:2012-01-11 Online:2012-04-22 Published:2012-04-24
  • Contact: CHEN Hui, Email: chenhuieye@126.com

Abstract: Tissue factor (TF) is traditionally assigned to the onset of the extrinsic coagulation pathway. Recently, studies showed that an enhanced expression of TF has been implicated in angiogenesis, inflammation and apoptosis, all of which are the key processes underlying the pathogenesis of agerelated macular degeneration (AMD). Furthermore, TF is widely expressed in retinal tissue including retinal cells, inflammatory cells, mature vasculature and neovasculature of the macula characterized by drusen or choroidal neovascularization (CNV). This article reviews the biological features of TF and the potential role of increased TF expression in the pathogenesis of AMD, and helps us to find out a novel target for a safety and effective treatment of AMD.  (Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2012, 36: 128133)