# Quantitative Fundus Autofluorescence in Retinal Disorders

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $405,000

## Abstract

Description: Project Summary and Relevance
The inherent autofluorescence (AF) of the fundus originates from RPE bisretinoid lipofuscin. While RPE
lipofuscin is amassed even in healthy eyes, imaging of fundus AF by confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy
(cSLO) has shown that the patterns and intensities of AF deviate from normal in several retinal disorders.
Accordingly, we previously demonstrated that a standardized approach to quantifying short wavelength fundus
AF (qAF) can assist in the diagnosis of retinal disease, in the monitoring of disease progression and in the
assessment of therapeutic outcomes.
To enable these investigations we have gathered normative qAF data from a large number of participants with
healthy eye status (aged 6-60) so as to establish ranges of qAF values with respect to age, gender and
ethnicity. Going forward we will use these normal values to determine whether bisretinoid lipofuscin
accumulation, a cellular burden that distinguishes RPE cells, confers susceptibility to the adverse effects of
HCQ on retina and whether qAF levels in inferior macula can serve as an early sign of HCQ toxicity (Specific
Aim 1). We will also determine why female carriers of choroideremia, present with reduced RPE lipofuscin
measured as qAF (Specific Aim 2). Using the qAF approach we will test for a relationship between the loss of
the ellipsoid zone in SD-OCT images and changes in short wavelength fundus autofluorescence (SW-AF)
intensities in patients diagnosed with central serous chorioretinopathy (Specific Aim 3). Homozygous mutations
in ABCA4 are well known to confer elevated qAF although the spatial distribution of the fluorescence intensity
is not uniform. By multi-modal imaging we will elucidate the underlying structural basis of this topographic
distribution (Specific Aim 4).
In summary, the studies proposed in this application will examine the contribution that the lipofuscin of retina
makes to the onset and progression of several retinal diseases and will demonstrate that quantitation of fundus
AF facilitates the diagnosis and monitoring of some retinal disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9876949
- **Project number:** 5R01EY024091-06
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Janet Ruthe Sparrow
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $405,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-06-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9876949

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9876949, Quantitative Fundus Autofluorescence in Retinal Disorders (5R01EY024091-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9876949. Licensed CC0.

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