Pathologic human vitreous promotes contraction by fibroblasts. Implications for proliferative vitreoretinopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To establish and quantify the presence of contraction-stimulating activity in pathologic vitreous and correlate this activity with clinical presentation and outcome, especially with proliferative vitreoretinopathy.


METHODS
Contraction-stimulating activity of vitreous collected during surgery was quantified with a tissue culture assay using fibroblasts as target cells. The activity of each sample was correlated with patient history, clinical presentation, risk factors, proliferative disease, and postoperative proliferation.


RESULTS
Pathologic vitreous contained measurable quantities of contraction-stimulating activity and stimulated contraction in vitro, with elevated activities in samples from patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, epimacular proliferation, retinal detachment, retinal defects, pigmented cells in the vitreous, hemorrhage, or uveitis. Patients with postoperative proliferation had significantly elevated mean activities.


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of contraction-stimulating activity in pathologic vitreous correlate with some risk factors for the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy and may ultimately be useful in the assessment of disease severity and the prediction of postoperative proliferation.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D003094:Collagen / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D014821:Vitrectomy; D018630:Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology
D001685:Biological Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D003094:Collagen