Patients and AH sample collection

AH samples were collected at the Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, and at the Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea. From January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2015, 13 patients undergoing cataract surgery were enrolled in this study. Among these individuals, 11 patients with dry AMD exhibited either drusen or RPD without GA. Two patients presented no retinal diseases, including dry AMD. Patients with other ophthalmic diseases (e.g., glaucoma, uveitis, or progressive retinal disease) or uncontrolled systemic diseases (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes mellitus), or who had undergone laser or intraocular surgery were excluded. All 13 patients underwent routine senile cataract surgery for visual rehabilitation. The extent of the cataracts in each individual corresponded to the patient’s age. The clinical data from the patients and controls are summarized in Table 1 and Fig. 1.

Summary of the demographic characteristics of dry age-related macular degeneration patients and control subjects

^aDDA data-dependent acquisition, ^bAH aqueous humor, ^cSWATH-MS sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion mass spectrometry, a specialized high-resolution mass spectrometric technique providing quantitative accuracy and reproducibility, ^dAMD age-related macular degeneration, ^eRPD reticular pseudodrusen

Color fundus photos (left) and optical coherence tomography images (right) from patients with drusen or reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) (patients with dry age-related macular degeneration in Sample Set 2 in Table ​Table1).1). (a) A 71-year-old woman with Drusen, (b) an 80-year-old woman with Drusen, (c) a 76-year-old woman with RPD, (d) a 67-year-old woman with RPD

All AH samples were obtained immediately before cataract surgery. The collection of all samples was performed using standard sterile procedures, and AH samples were obtained via anterior chamber paracentesis using a 30-gauge needle. No complications were encountered after paracentesis of the anterior chamber. AH samples (100–150 μl) were placed in safe-lock microcentrifuge tubes (1.5 mL), immediately frozen at − 80 °C and stored until analysis. The study followed the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and informed written consent was obtained from all patients and control subjects. The procedure for AH collection was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.