Expression of stromal cell-derived factor-1 in diabetic retinopathy.
BACKGROUND
Neovascularization can cause vision loss in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and may be affected by many factors. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a potent stimulator of angiogenesis. The study was aimed to investigate the expression of SDF-1 and its correlation with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the eyes with diabetic retinopathy.


METHODS
The levels of SDF-1 and VEGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the vitreous of 41 eyes of 41 patients with PDR and 12 eyes of 12 patients with idiopathic macular hole (IMH). Vitreous fluid samples and fibrovascular preretinal membranes were obtained at vitrectomy. SDF-1 and VEGF were localized using immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The vitreous concentration of VEGF was significantly higher in eyes with PDR ((2143.7 +/- 1685.21) pg/ml) than in eyes with IMH ((142.42 +/- 72.83) pg/ml, P < 0.001). The vitreous level of SDF-1 was also significantly higher in eyes with PDR ((306.37 +/- 134.25) pg/ml) than in eyes with IMH ((86.91 +/- 55.05) pg/ml, P < 0.001). The concentrations of both VEGF and SDF-1 were higher in eyes with active PDR than in eyes with inactive PDR. Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) could decrease the SDF-1 levels in the vitreous of PDR patients. The vitreous concentration of SDF-1 correlated with that of VEGF in eyes with PDR (r = 0.61, P < 0.001). The costaining of SDF-1 and VEGF was confined to the vascular components in preretinal membranes.


CONCLUSIONS
SDF-1 protein is highly expressed in both the vitreous and preretinal membranes of PDR patients; SDF-1 may be correlated with VEGF in angiogenesis in PDR.
Chen
Ling-yan
LY
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Zhuo
Ye-hong
YH
Li
Yong-hao
YH
Huang
Xin-hua
XH
Zhang
Jing-lin
JL
Li
Shi-yi
SY
Wang
Xiang-gui
XG
Lü
Lin
L
D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism
D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A