Comparison of the levels of hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in aqueous fluid and serum with grades of retinopathy in patients with diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relation between the stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and the levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in aqueous fluid and serum.


METHODS
Levels of HGF and VEGF in serum and aqueous humour obtained during ocular surgery were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in 58 diabetic patients with 32 non-diabetic patients (NDM) as controls. The patients with diabetes were classified into three groups according to the stage of DR: no DR (NDR; 15 cases), non-proliferative DR (NPDR; six cases), and proliferative DR (PDR; 37 cases).


RESULTS
No significant differences were found between any of the groups in serum concentrations of HGF or VEGF. The aqueous HGF levels increased with the stage of DR: NDM, median 397 pg/ml, range 133-930 pg/ml; NDR, 371 pg/ml, 142-1536 pg/ml; NPDR, 455 pg/ml, 162-1007 pg/ml; and PDR, 638 pg/ml, 187-2222 pg/ml. The aqueous VEGF levels in PDR (median 212 pg/ml, range 14-1216 pg/ml) were significantly higher than in NDM (105 pg/ml, 9-203 pg/ml), but aqueous HGF concentrations were unrelated to those of VEGF.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study suggest that both HGF and VEGF present in the ocular tissues may play important roles in the progression of DR.
Shinoda
K
K
Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Ishida
S
S
Kawashima
S
S
Wakabayashi
T
T
Matsuzaki
T
T
Takayama
M
M
Shinmura
K
K
Yamada
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor