title: Role of Serum Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Its Receptor in Retinopathy of Prematurity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disorder of developing retina of low birth weight preterm infants which can lead to blindness. One theory attributes the fibrosis seen in ROP to deregulation of vascularization in the retina. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the important mediators involved in vascularization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried out to assess the role of VEGF and its receptor in retinopathy of prematurity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Around 200 preterm infants born in SSK hospital were screened at 33 - 34 weeks. These babies were followed up according to the international classification of retinopathy of prematurity (ICROP) criteria. Those infants who developed ROP at 38 - 40 weeks were enrolled in group A while an equal number of infants who did not develop ROP were included in group B. Each group comprised of 30 subjects each. Venous sampling was carried out twice, once at 33 - 34 weeks and then again at 38 - 40 weeks. VEGF and VEGF-R2 were estimated by commercially available ELISA kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference between the levels of VEGF and VEGF-R2 in both groups at first visit as well as the follow up visit. However, the intra-group difference was significant between the first and the final visit in VEGF and VEGF-R2 levels in the cases with ROP. In the control population, the VEGF levels were significantly lower in the follow up visit as compared to the initial visit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates that a significant difference is seen in the serum VEGF and VRGF-R2 in the second visit of the infants with ROP demonstrating that VEGF might be responsible for the initiation and aggravation of ROP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated SSK Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Binita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goswami
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated SSK Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated SSK Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sarita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beri
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated SSK Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated SSK Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saili
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated SSK Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Anju
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jain
keywords: Angiogenesis; Retinopathy of Prematurity; VEGF; VEGFR