title: Vascular endothelial growth factor levels in tears of patients with retinal vein occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We measured vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in tear fluid and serum in patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients with RVO due to secondary macular oedema were examined. VEGF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All patients had a full ophthalmic examination (visual acuity, slit lamp biomicroscopy, perimetry, and fluorescein angiography). Central retinal thickness (CRT) was examined using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Tear and serum samples were collected and examinations were performed at diagnosis and 1 and 4 weeks later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VEGF levels in the tears of RVO eyes were significantly higher than in fellow eyes at diagnosis and after both 1 and 4 weeks (paired t test, p1 = 0.01, p2 = 0.02, p3 = 0.006). We found a weak but significant positive correlation between VEGF levels in tear fluid and serum of patients with RVO (r = 0.21), while this correlation tended to be stronger between the fellow eyes and serum levels (r = 0.33).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to report an increased level of VEGF in the tear fluid of patients with RVO. Alterations of VEGF levels in tears may be useful for determining stages of RVO. This non-invasive and objective method may also be helpful for estimating the severity of macular oedema and efficacy of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Medical Centre, Hungarian Defence Forces, 1134, Budapest, Róbert Károly krt. 44, Hungary, kaszam77@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasza
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Balogh
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biro
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ujhelyi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Damjanovich
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Csutak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Várdai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berta
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nagy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D033401:Microscopy, Acoustic; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D058609:Visual Field Tests
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C042434:tear proteins