Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) heads the list of legal blindness among the elderly population in developed countries. Due to the complex nature of the retina and the variety of risk factors and mechanisms involved, the molecular pathways underlying AMD are not yet fully defined. Persistent low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress eventually lead to retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction and outer blood–retinal barrier (oBRB) breakdown. The identification of AMD susceptibility genes encoding complement factors, and the presence of inflammatory mediators in drusen, the hallmark deposits of AMD, supports the notion that immune-mediated processes are major drivers of AMD pathobiology. Complement factor H (FH), the main regulator of the alternative pathway of the complement system, may have a key contribution in the pathogenesis of AMD as it is able to regulate both inflammatory and oxidative stress responses in the oBRB. Indeed, genetic variants in the CFH gene account for the strongest genetic risk factors for AMD. In this review, we focus on the roles of inflammation and oxidative stress and their connection with FH and related proteins as regulators of both phenomena in the context of AMD.

Objective: This study aimed to examine microvascular changes and identify predictors of short-term quiescence in active birdshot chorioretinitis (BSCR). Methods: An observational, prospective, 12-month follow-up cohort study was conducted. BSCR eyes were clinically assessed at baseline, categorized as active or inactive, and reevaluated at 12 months. Based on their clinical activity at both timepoints, eyes were divided into three subgroups: active-to-inactive (A-I), consistently active (A-A), and consistently inactive (I-I). Structural OCT, OCT-angiography (OCT-A), and ultra-widefield imaging were utilized. Exam data from fundus and nasal subfields were analyzed for microvascular changes and quiescence predictors. Results: Sixty eyes from 30 BSCR patients (47% women, 53% men, mean age 59.7 ± 12.3 years) were included. In the A-I group (16 eyes), vascular density and perfusion indices increased in all subfields post-quiescence, contrasting with the other groups. Perifoveal looping in the superficial capillary plexus predicted quiescence at 12 months compared with the A-A group. Conclusions: Vascular density rises after complete inflammation control in BSCR, and perifoveal capillary loops serve as potential predictors of short-term quiescence in active BSCR.