Abstract
Purpose: :
To determine the circulating levels of multiple angiogenic factors in diabetic patients with varying severity of diabetic retinopathy.
Methods: :
The relative levels of multiple growth factors were analysed simultaneously in plasma from 45 patients using an antibody array platform (RayBio® Human Angiogenesis Antibody Array C Series 1000). Plasma from diabetics with no retinopathy (n=14), patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (n=13), patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (n=11) and non-diabetic controls (n=7) was analysed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs) were used to validate changes in the levels of these circulating growth factors.
Results: :
Results from antibody array data indicated a positive correlation between severity of diabetic retinopathy and levels of the following angiogenic factors: Growth Regulated Oncogene (GRO)-alpha/CXCL1, Epithelial Neutrophil Activator (ENA)-78/CXCL5, Interleukin (IL)-8/CXCL8, Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein (MCP)-1/CCL2, Regulated on Activation, Normal T-cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES)/CCL5, Angiogenin, Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF), Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were performed to validate a subset of these results.
Conclusions: :
The present study indicates that higher levels of multiple angiogenic factors may be associated with progression of diabetic retinopathy. Some of these factors are novel in the context of proliferative retinopathy including the chemokines CXCL1 and 5.
Keywords: diabetic retinopathy • vascular endothelial growth factor