High TGF-beta2 levels during primary retinal detachment may protect against proliferative vitreoretinopathy.
OBJECTIVE
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta2 and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) after retinal detachment surgery. The exact role of these factors in the early events, immediately after primary retinal detachment, is not yet known, and determining their roles was therefore the purpose of this study.


METHODS
Subretinal fluids were collected prospectively from 144 patients during surgery for scleral buckling. TGF-beta2 and HGF were measured with commercially available ELISA kits. Thirty patients in whom a redetachment caused by postoperative PVR developed, were compared with 114 patients with an uncomplicated retinal detachment. The controls included 18 vitreous samples from patients with macular hole or pucker. Multivariate regression analysis was used to compare the relative roles of growth factors and clinical factors in the development of PVR.


RESULTS
The median amount of subretinal TGF-beta2 was approximately two times lower in patients with postoperative PVR (1.9 ng/mL) than in the uncomplicated detachment group (3.3 ng/mL; P=0.002). TGF-beta2 levels in the PVR-positive group were similar to control vitreous levels (1.8 ng/mL). Subretinal HGF concentrations were not significantly different between the two groups of patients (PVR positive: 8.8 ng/mL; PVR negative: 8.9 ng/mL), but were higher than control vitreous levels (4.6 ng/mL; P=0.01). Stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that of all factors under study, decreased TGF-beta2 content was the exclusive predictor of postoperative PVR (P=0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
High TGF-beta2 levels in subretinal fluid at the time of primary retinal detachment may protect a patient against subsequent development of PVR.
Dieudonné
Suzanne C
SC
Eye Research Institute Maastricht, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. sdie@soog.azm.nl
La Heij
Ellen C
EC
Diederen
Roselie
R
Kessels
Alfons G H
AG
Liem
Albert T A
AT
Kijlstra
Aize
A
Hendrikse
Fred
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D012591:Scleral Buckling; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2; D018630:Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
C509041:TGFB2 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor