Results of these experiments indicate that expression of MCP-1, VEGF and PEDF, key mediators pertinent to inflammation and angiogenesis are dysregulated in RPE from smoker patients with AMD as well as in cultured human RPE cells and RPE/choroids from C57BL/6 mice in response to various levels of pro-oxidant HQ and durations of exposure. The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is age-related macular degeneration.