Prevalence of Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) in Parkinson's Patients and Assesment of the Role of L-DOPA

Age related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a major and irreversible cause of blindness among the elderly. The sub-retinal space, located between the retinal pigmentary epithelium (RPE) and the external segments of the retinal photoreceptors, plays a crucial role in this pathology. A recent epidemiologic study in the US, has shown that Parkinson patients treated with L-DOPA, developed only later an ARMD when compared to the untreated patients.

The L-Dopa is an endogenous ligand of the GPR43 receptor (G protein-coupled receptors), located on the RPE's cell's apical pole.

This receptor, via several intracellular mechanisms, regulates the cell's exosomal and endosomal pathways: it would appear that the L-DOPA, by stimulating this receptor, decreases significantly the RPE's exosome release.

The contents of the exosomes is still uncertain, however in addition to their signalization role, it seems they transport pro-inflammatory components, possibly helping the cellular recruitment due to the mononuclear phagocytic systems, particularly toxic for the photoreceptors.

The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of ARMD in a sample of Parkinson's Patients followed at Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild and to compared it to the prevalence of ARMD of the general population.

Furthermore the study aims to explore a possible causal link between L-DOPA treatment and ARMD.