title: [Evaluation of VEGF and IGF-1 plasma levels in preterm infants--potential correlation with retinopathy of prematurity, clinical implications].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Insulin-like growth factor-1 plays an important role in fetal growth and development, and its level increases with gestational age. The latest reports show that IGF-1 can directly influence the production of VEGF and regulate the development of blood vessels. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the plasma concentrations of IGF-1 and VEGF as well as analyze their mutual correlation in preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), compared with preterm infants without ROP and full-term babies.
  
  
  METHODS
  To address this issue, peripheral blood samples (PB) were analyzed and collected 10 weeks after delivery from: 25 preterm infants with proliferative stage of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and neovascularization (stage 3 or more advanced), 25 preterm infants without ROP, and 25 healthy full-term control infants. Plasma concentrations of VEGF and IGF-1 were measured using high-sensitivity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased concentrations of VEGF (p < 0.05), were found in the PB of the preterm infants with ROP compared with the preterm babies without retinopathy as well as with the full-term control infants, in whom the lowest levels of the growth factor were observed. The plasma concentrations of IGF-1 in the preterm infants were significantly lower than those of the full-term babies (p < 0.001). After adjustment for gestational age as a independent variable, a tendency to higher concentrations of IGF-1 was observed in the preterm infants with ROP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Disturbances in the interactions of VEGF and IGF-1 at early stages of ROP, leading to uncontrolled increases in their levels in the proliferative phase of disease, can play an important role in the pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity.
authors.affiliation: Z Katedry i Zaktadu Histologii i Embriologii Pomorskiej Akademii Medycznej w Szczecinie. machalin@sci.pam.szczecin.pl
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Machalińska
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Modrzejewska
authors.forename: Violetta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dziedziejko
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotowski
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Safranow
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herbowska
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karczewicz
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I