Abstract
Purpose :
Angiogenesis is responsible for neovascularization. Angiogenic ocular conditions are a leading cause of vision loss. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) play a main role in pathological angiogenesis in retinal diseases. VEGF-A, VEGF-B and PIGF were investigated in vitreous and serum of patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and compared with a control group with no neovascular pathology.
Methods :
Serum and vitreous samples were collected from 96 patients undergoing vitrectomy: DR (n=63), RVO (n=2), AMD (n=2) and control group (n=29). Cytokines were quantified by ELISA. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was evaluated for central retinal thickness and macular volume (MV). Results were cross between growth factors and OCT outcomes. This study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki; all patients gave their informed consent.
Results :
DR patients revealed vitreous high values (mean±standard deviation pg/mL) of: VEGF-A (370.04±588.62 pg/mL), VEGF-B (88.18±239.13) and PIGF (70.00±39.24). In AMD, serum and vitreous VEGF-A had the highest values (27.23±9.93 vs 9.75±4.92, respectively). In RVO the highest values were vitreous VEGF-A and B, (502.97±539.69 and 295.15±316.56, respectively). A comparison between vitreous levels in neovascular disorders and control demonstrated a statistical difference: VEGF-A (343.30±543.82 vs 7.04±1.35; p=0.050), VEGF-B (93.95±237.61 vs 14.32±7.08; p=0.004) and PIGF (70.00±39.24 vs 46.88±10.14; p=0.007). The comparison between proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients (PDR) and non-PDR (NPDR) showed statistical significant high levels for vitreous: VEGF-A (p = 0.003), VEGF-B (p = 0.001), PIGF (p = 0.009) and serum: VEGF-A (p = 0.028), VEGF-B (p = 0.021), PIGF (p = 0.039). A strong correlation was found between vitreous VEGF-A and B (r=0.959, p≤ 0.001) and serum VEGF-A and B (r=0.716, p=0.001) in DR patients. The correlation between vitreous VEGF-B and MV in DR was moderate (r=0.547, p=0.003).
Conclusions :
The results confirm the overexpression of these cytokines in neovascular disorders. In DR patients, vitreous VEGF levels increase with the progression of the disease, being lower in NPDR and higher in PDR patients. The strong correlation between vitreous and serum VEGF-A and VEGF-B suggests a simultaneous pathological increase of these cytokines in DR.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.