[Evaluation of VEGF and IGF-1 plasma levels in preterm infants--potential correlation with retinopathy of prematurity, clinical implications].
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.
Machalińska
Anna
A
Z Katedry i Zaktadu Histologii i Embriologii Pomorskiej Akademii Medycznej w Szczecinie. machalin@sci.pam.szczecin.pl
Modrzejewska
Monika
M
Dziedziejko
Violetta
V
Kotowski
Maciej
M
Safranow
Krzysztof
K
Herbowska
Aleksandra
A
Karczewicz
Danuta
D
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*
D015415:Biomarkers; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I