Evaluating the impact of blue-filtering intraocular lenses on macular oxidative stress: A comparative analysis of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels in the retinal tissue of donor eyes

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of blue-filtering intraocular lenses (BFIOLs) on retinal oxidative stress by comparing 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels in the macular retina and submacular retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of donor eyes with BFIOLs and non-BFIOLs. Design: Cross-sectional laboratory study using postmortem human donor eyes. Methods: Fifty-eight eyes from 39 donors were categorized as BFIOL (n = 16), non-BFIOL (n = 24), or phakic (n = 18). Macular retina and submacular RPE were dissected, genomic DNA extracted, and 8-OHdG quantified using ELISA. 8-OHdG levels were compared across lens groups, and associations with age and sex were examined. Results: Submacular RPE had higher 8-OHdG levels than the macular retina (0.95 vs 0.44 ng/mL; P < 0.0001). No significant differences in 8-OHdG were observed between BFIOL and non-BFIOL eyes in either tissue (all P >= 0.09). Age was not associated with 8-OHdG, whereas male donors showed higher RPE 8-OHdG levels than female donors (P = 0.03). Conclusions: Macular retinal and RPE 8-OHdG levels did not differ significantly by IOL type. These biochemical observations, considered alongside existing clinical data, suggest that any retinal protective effect of BFIOLs on oxidative DNA damage is likely to be modest.