title: Quantitative assessment of growth stimulating activity of the vitreous during PVR.
abstract: This report postulates that the activity of cellular proliferation along the surface of the retina during proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is reflected in the aggregate effect of proliferation-inducing growth factors in the vitreous. A method for quantifying the "net" proliferation-inducing capacity of an individual vitreous sample was developed and this assay was used to evaluate the vitreous proliferative activity in a model for experimental PVR. Vitreous was aspirated sequentially after onset of fibroblast-induced PVR in a rabbit model. A simple bioassay for the "aggregate" stimulating activity was developed and each sample was assigned a quantitative value in terms of "proliferation units" (PU). Experimental eyes demonstrated a wide range of stimulating activity (0-1765 PU), but control eyes showed uniformly low levels of activity (0-337 PU). Experimental eyes that ultimately developed retinal detachment displayed higher levels of proliferative activity than did those eyes destined to remain attached. The differences were statistically different by day 3, prior to the onset of clinical retinal changes. We conclude that quantification of vitreous proliferation-stimulating activity is possible and that this method might be useful for screening eyes at high risk for the development of recurrent retinal detachment from PVR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cousins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000378:metabolism; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances