Correlation of electroretinography b-wave absolute latency, plasma levels of human basic fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, soluble fatty acid synthase, and adrenomedullin in diabetic retinopathy.
BACKGROUND
We investigated the b-wave latency of electroretinogram (ERG), human basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble fatty acid synthase (s-Fas), and adrenomedullin (ADM) in diabetic retinopathy.


METHODS
Thirty control and 60 type II diabetic women (mean age 45+/-3.9 years, duration of diabetes 10.1+/-2.1 years) were investigated. Diabetics without complications (Group II) and with retinopathy (Group III) were diagnosed depending on clinical findings, abnormal fundus examination, and ERG. Plasma levels of b-FGF, VEGF, s-Fas, and ADM were measured.


RESULTS
ERG showed a significant increase of b-wave absolute latency, plasma b-FGF, VEGF, s-Fas, and ADM in diabetic retinopathy (P<.05). A positive correlation was found between b-wave latency and VEGF and s-Fas, and a negative correlation with b-FGF and ADM.


CONCLUSIONS
This study elucidates the causative role of VEGF and s-Fas in diabetic retinopathy. VEGF may potently promote growth of endothelial cells and formation of new vessels implicated in proliferative retinopathy. s-Fas could be involved in advancement of apoptotic changes in retinopathy and high levels of b-FGF, and ADM may be compensatorily neuroprotective and vasculoprotective. The results showed that diabetic retinopathy is the result of multiple factors, so it is optimistic to believe that reversing VEGF or s-Fas will halt retinopathy, targeting multiple mechanisms simultaneously by administering combination treatments of VEGF antagonists; antiapoptotic drugs together with b-FGF and/or ADM may be prospective.
Zakareia
Faten Abdulhady
FA
Clinical Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. fatenz369@hotmail.com <fatenz369@hotmail.com>
Alderees
Abdulmageed Abdulrahman
AA
Al Regaiy
Khalid Abdualla
KA
Alrouq
Fawziah Abdallah
FA
D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004596:Electroretinography; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D053607:Adrenomedullin; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases