Vitreous and subretinal fluid ATP concentrations in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Abstract

Purpose : Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) plays an important role in cell energy metabolism and intercellular signaling processes. During the course of apoptosis, dying cells release ATP into extracellular space and extracellular ATP accelerates photoreceptor apoptosis. Then, extracellular ATP degrades into adenosine diphosphate (ADP). However, physiology of ATP in vitreous is not fully understood. The purpose of this study is to determine the vitreous levels of ATP and ADP in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with photoreceptor apoptosis.

Methods : Vitreous samples were obtained from 96 eyes of 96 patients with RRD (n = 54), macular hole (MH; n=15), and epiretinal membrane (ERM; n =27) during pars plana vitrectomy. In RRD patients, subretinal fluids were also collected from retinal tear during vitrectomy. We measured ATP and ADP concentration using luciferin-luciferase assay. Clinical data were analyzed by retrospective chart review. RRD patients were divided into two groups according to duration of symptoms. ATP concentration was compared between two groups.

Results : Compared with MH and ERM patient, RRD patient have higher vitreous ATP concentration (RRD: 1.74ng/ml, MH: 0.11ng/ml, ERM: 0.065ng/ml, p < 0.005, respectively) and higher ADP concentration (p < 0.01). No significant difference was observed in vitreous ATP concentration between short-duration group and long-duration group (p= 0.07, Mann-Whitney U test). However, short-duration group have significantly higher subretinal fluid ATP concentration compared with long-duration group (p<0.001). Duration of symptoms showed negative correlation with subretinal fluid ATP concentration (r= -0.61m p < 0.001, Spearman’s rank correlation test), but no significant correlation with vitreous ATP concentration (r= -0.32, p= 0.06).

Conclusions : RRD patients have high ATP and ADP concentration in vitreous and subretinal fluid. These data suggest physiological and pathological metabolic pathways of ATP and ADP in the retina and vitreous.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.