[Best's disease. Overview of pathology and its causes]

Ophthalmologe. 2005 Feb;102(2):111-5. doi: 10.1007/s00347-004-1158-2.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Best's disease is a hereditary affection with reduced penetrance and juvenile onset. The fundus may be unremarkable or present various stages up to scarring of the macula. Histopathology of advanced stages discloses deposits of lipofuscin on Bruch's membrane, the innermost layer of which is the basal membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The deposits correlate with lipofuscin and melanofuscin granulae in the RPE. Photoreceptors correlating with the lesions have lost their outer segments and the RPE as well as the photoreceptors appear edematous. Loss of photoreceptor function does not necessarily follow progression of fundus appearance. Loss of function usually correlates with a reduced Arden ratio of the electro-oculogram even in the absence of funduscopic changes.Best's disease is caused by mutations in VMD2 (hBEST1). Bestrophin, the gene product of hBEST1, is a regulatory part of a Ca(2+) channel or a Ca(2+)-dependent Cl(-)channel. In this paper the relevant data on clinical and genetic pathology are summarized and evaluated.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bestrophins
  • Calcium Channels / metabolism*
  • Chloride Channels
  • Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / diagnosis*
  • Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / genetics*
  • Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / metabolism
  • Eye Proteins / genetics*
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease / genetics
  • Humans
  • Macular Degeneration / diagnosis*
  • Macular Degeneration / genetics
  • Macular Degeneration / metabolism*
  • Penetrance

Substances

  • BEST1 protein, human
  • Bestrophins
  • Calcium Channels
  • Chloride Channels
  • Eye Proteins