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Sex Related Differences in Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Retinal Disease

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Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Health and Disease

Abstract

Sex-related differences have been identified in various ophthalmic disorders. Sex hormone receptors, such as estrogen receptors, have been found throughout the eye including retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), indicating the importance of hormone regulation in these tissues. In this chapter we will discuss sex differences within the eye and how they relate to retina and RPE health and function. As many autoimmune diseases occur more often in women, we will also examine autoimmune diseases and the secondary effects that may arise within the eye. In addition, the role estrogen plays in systemic inflammation may help in understanding the role of estrogen in the eye. By further understanding the differences between males and females in ocular health, we can provide more tailored treatments for disease and design preventative care aimed at regaining hormonal balance.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mausumi Bandyopadhyay for her expertise and effort in data generated in Figs. 11.1 and 11.2, as well as her overall intellectual expertise, Lara Seidman for her technical assistance with Figs. 11.1 and 11.2, and Kathleen Brady for critical review.

The authors’ responsibilities were as follows: E.O. and G.S. conducted research and analyzed data; G.S wrote manuscript; B.R. assisted with research design and manuscript edits; and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.

This work was sponsored in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) K12HD055885 Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) fellowship. Additional research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R01EY019320), Department of Veterans Affairs (I01 RX000444), and the South Carolina SmartState Endowment. All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the ARVO Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research, and were approved by the University Animal Care and Use Committee.

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  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Gloriane Schnabolk, Elisabeth Obert & Bärbel Rohrer

  2. Division of Research, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA

    Bärbel Rohrer

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  1. Gloriane Schnabolk
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Correspondence to Gloriane Schnabolk or Bärbel Rohrer .

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  1. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Kiel, University Medical Center, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

    Alexa Karina Klettner

  2. Department of Ophthalmology HSK Wiesbaden, University of Mainz, Wiesbaden, Germany

    Stefan Dithmar

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Schnabolk, G., Obert, E., Rohrer, B. (2020). Sex Related Differences in Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Retinal Disease. In: Klettner, A., Dithmar, S. (eds) Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Health and Disease. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28384-1_11

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