Updated project metadata.
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of irreversible central vision loss in the elderly population. According to the WHO estimates, AMD globally ranks third in causing vision impairment with a blindness prevalence of 8.7%.There is no cure for AMD; however,if it is diagnosed at an early stage, its progression can be slowed down by maintaining a healthy life style. Studies have been carried out to identify biomarkers in the plasma or serum of AMD patients. However, a consensus has not been reached with respect to an ideal biomarker which can predict and prognosticate the disease at an earlier stage. This can be attributed to the differences in the ethnicity and other geographical differences, which makes it important to conduct the study in specific regions.The current study aims to findnon-invasive prognostic biomarkers in the urine specimens of the AMD patients. Comparative proteomic analysis of urine samples from Early AMD, Choroidalneovascular membrane(CNVM) , Geographic atrophy(GA) and healthy controls was performed using Tandem mass tags (TMT) followed by mass spectrometry. Out of 751 proteins identified 383 proteins were found to be differentially expressed in various groups of AMD patients. Gene ontology classification of differentially expressed proteins revealed majority of them were involved in catalytic functions and binding activities. Pathway analysis showed, cell adhesion molecule pathways (CAMs), Complement and coagulation cascades, to be significantly deregulated in AMD. Upon validation by ELISA, SERPINA-1, TIMP-1, APOA-1 were significantly over expressed in AMD patients compared to the controls. A logistic model of APOA-1 in combination with CFH and C3 polymorphisms predicted the risk of developing AMD with 82% accuracy. This study gives us a preliminary data on non invasive biomarkers for AMD, which can be further validated in a large cohort and translated for diagnostic use.