title: Serum vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and adropin levels in age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) and adropin in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-eight AMD patients were included in the study. Seventy-eight age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group. Fundus florescein angiography and optical coherence tomography were performed to assess the posterior segment details. Serum VEGFR-2 and adropin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and compared between the study groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AMD group had significantly increased foveal retinal thickness, serum LDL and HDL levels and significantly decreased subfoveal choroidal thickness (P =0.01, 0.047, 0.025 and <0.001, respectively). Serum VEGFR-2 level revealed a significant decrease in AMD patients compared to controls (26.48±6.44 vs 30.42±7.92 ng/mL, P<0.001). There was an insignificant increase in serum adropin level in AMD patients (6.17±3.19 vs 5.79±2.71 ng/mL, P=0.4). Serum level of VEGFR-2 in AMD patients had a significant negative correlation with foveal retinal thickness (r=-0.226, P=0.025) and a significant positive correlation with subfoveal choroidal thickness (r=0.2, P=0.048).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study demonstrated that the decreased serum VEGFR-2 level may be considered in the development of AMD. Adropin does not seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of AMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Kirikkale University, Kirikkale 71450, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurgül
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Örnek
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Kirikkale University, Kirikkale 71450, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Örnek
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig 23300, Turkey.
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig 23300, Turkey.
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Kirikkale University, Kirikkale 71450, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yaşar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ölmez
keywords: adropin; age-related macular degeneration; vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2