Abstract
Purpose: :
To determine levels of angiogenic and endothelial progenitor cell mobilizing (vasculogenic) factors in vitreous fluid from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients and correlate their levels with clinical disease activity.
Methods: :
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (sVEGFR-2), stem cell factor (SCF), soluble c-kit (s-kit) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels were measured by ELISA in vitreous samples from 34 PDR and 15 nondiabetic patients.
Results: :
VEGF, sVEGFR-2, SCF, and s-kit levels and mean VEGF to sVEGFR-2 ratio were significantly higher in PDR with active neovascularization compared with quiescent PDR and nondiabetic patients (p<0.001; 0.007; 0.001; <0.001; 0.0103, respectively). VEGF, sVEGFR-2, SCF and s-kit levels and mean VEGF to sVEGFR-2 ratio were significantly higher in PDR with hemorrhage compared with PDR without hemorrhage and nondiabetic patients (p<0.001; 0.003; 0.001; 0.001; 0.0181, respectively). PGE2 levels were significantly higher in nondiabetic patients compared with PDR patients (p<0.001). There were significant correlations between levels of sVEGFR-2 versus SCF (r=0.950, p<0.001), sVEGFR-2 versus s-kit (r=0.941, p<0.001) and SCF versus s-kit (r=0.970, p<0.001).
Conclusions: :
Upregulation of VEGF, sVEGFR-2, SCF and s-kit supports the contributions of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis in pathogenesis of PDR.
Keywords: diabetic retinopathy • vitreous • retinal neovascularization