title: Angiogenesis-related cytokines in serum of proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients before and after vitrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate serum concentrations of angiogenesis-related cytokines in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) before and after vitrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples were collected from 30 PDR patients with varying severity before and after vitrectomy. Serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum concentrations of VEGF, PEDF, IL-8 and IP-10 were significantly higher in PDR patients than that in controls, respectively (P<0.05). VEGF concentration decreased significantly in postoperative samples than that in preoperative samples (P<0.05). The concentrations of PEDF, IL-8 and IP-10 did not exhibit significant changes after vitrectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated cytokines levels in serum may be diagnostically useful in PDR. Angiogenesis-related cytokines play important roles in the development of PDR, and would instruct the risk assessment of pathogenetic condition in PDR patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430014, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xun-An
authors.initials: XA
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xiao-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: You-Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei-Qun
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: angiogenesis; cytokine; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; proliferative diabetic retinopathy; vitrectomy