Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42177686›Full record

ArticleMetabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society2026

Association of age-related macular degeneration with exposome related metabolomics.

Ines Lains, Roshni Bhat, Kevin Mendez, Joao Gil, Joana Providencia, Patricia Barreto, Krupa Sourirajan, Haemin Kang, Archana Nigalye, John B Miller and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Ines Lains *Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Roshni Bhat *Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Kevin MendezMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Joao GilAssociation for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal.
Joana ProvidenciaAssociation for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal.
Patricia BarretoAssociation for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal.
Krupa SourirajanMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Haemin KangMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Archana NigalyeMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
John B MillerMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Ivana KimMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Demetrios VavvasMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Liming LiangSystems Genetics and Genomics Unit, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital andHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Rufino SilvaAssociation for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal.
Jessica Lasky-SuChanning Lab, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Joan W MillerMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Deeba HusainMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. deeba_husain@meei.harvard.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8494-0950

Funding

Mass Eye and Ear-Vision Clinical Scientist Development ProgramK12EY016335 · NEI · MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY · PI Reza Dana · 2004 to 2026
$12.3M
Metabolomics a Novel Tool for Investigating the Pathogenesis of Age-related Macular DegenerationR01EY030088 · NEI · MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY · PI Deeba Husain · 2020 to 2026
$3.5M
NEI NIH HHS K12 EY016335NEI NIH HHS R01 EY030088NIH HHS K12EY016335NIH HHS R01EY030088
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disease, but it remains unclear how external exposures - the exposome - promote its development. Metabolomics can provide insights to better understand AMD pathophysiology. Previous work to date has focused primarily on associations between endogenous metabolites and AMD.

objectivesThis study aimed for the first time to investigate associations of exogenous metabolites in plasma and urine and AMD.

methodsCross-sectional study including patients with AMD and a control group (> 50 years) from Boston, US and Coimbra, Portugal (PT). Color fundus photographs (CFP) of all participants were used for AMD staging. Fasting plasma and urine samples were used for metabolomic profiling using Ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (Metabolon, Inc). Multivariate and ordinal logistic mixed-effect regression models were computed for each cohort and then combined by meta-analysis. Primary outcome was association of metabolites with AMD (vs. no AMD). False discovery rate (FDR) was used to account for multiple comparisons and significant q-values are reported.

resultsWe included 1023 eyes (823 from the US and 580 from PT). Meta-analysis revealed significant associations of tartronate, thioproline and 2-methoxyhydroquinone sulfate levels with both presence and staging of AMD (q < 0.005 for all). Similar trends were seen in urine.

conclusionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify associations between exogenous metabolites and AMD. These findings are crucial for identifying possible targets for preventive strategies for this blinding disease.

Indexed as

ExposomeMacular DegenerationMetabolomicsAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMetabolomeMiddle AgedAge-related macular degenerationExposomeMetabolomicsPlasmaUrine

Identifiers

PMID42177686
PMCPMC13199193

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.