Vitreous levels of angiopoietin 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the levels of angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the vitreous fluids of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and to ascertain their involvement, if any, in angiogenesis of PDR.


METHODS
Retrospective case-control study.


METHODS
Forty-one eyes of 41 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and 18 eyes of 18 patients with nondiabetic ocular diseases (control group). Nondiabetic control eyes included 11 with idiopathic macular hole and 7 with idiopathic epiretinal membrane. Vitreous fluid samples were obtained at vitrectomy, and the levels of Ang2 and VEGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Vitreous level (mean +/- SD) of Ang2 was significantly higher in patients with PDR (1,753 +/- 3,213 pg/ml) than in control patients (112 +/- 113 pg/ml) (P < .0001). The vitreous concentration of VEGF was also significantly higher in patients with PDR (812 +/- 1,108 pg/ml) than in control patients (1.7 +/- 4.4 pg/ml) (P < .0001). Both Ang2 and VEGF levels in eyes with active PDR were significantly higher than in those with inactive PDR. The vitreous concentration of Ang2 correlated significantly with that of VEGF in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy ([correlation coefficient] rho = 0.497, P = .001).


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate an increase of Ang2 in the vitreous fluid of patients with PDR and suggest an association of Ang2 and VEGF with angiogenic activity in PDR.
Watanabe
Daisuke
D
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Suzuma
Kiyoshi
K
Suzuma
Izumi
I
Ohashi
Hirokazu
H
Ojima
Tomonari
T
Kurimoto
Masafumi
M
Murakami
Tomoaki
T
Kimura
Tetsushi
T
Takagi
Hitoshi
H
D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism*
D042702:Angiopoietin-2; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A