title: Phosphorylation of alphaB-crystallin in epiretinal membrane of human proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine phosphorylation of alphaB-crystallin (p-αBC), a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) chaperone, and immunohistochemically investigate relationship between p-αBC, VEGF and phosphorylated p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK) in the epiretinal membrane of human proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven epiretinal membranes of PDR surgically excised were included in this study. Two normal retinas were also collected from enucleation tissues due to choroidal melanoma. Paraformaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were processed for immunohistochemistry with anti-p-αBC, VEGF, CD31, and p-p38 MAPK antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunoreactivity for p-αBC was observed in all of the epiretinal membranes examined, where phosphorylation on serine (Ser) 59 showed strongest immunoreactivity in over 70% of the membranes. The immunolocalization of p-αBC was detected in the CD31-positive endothelial cells, and co-localized with VEGF and p-p38 MAPK in PDR membranes. Immunoreactivity for p-αBC, however, was undetectable in endothelial cells of the normal retinas, where p-p38 MAPK immunoreactivity was less marked than PDR membranes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Phosphorylation of αBC, in particular, phosphorylation on Ser59 by p-p38 MAPK may play a potential role as a molecular chaperon for VEGF in the pathogenesis of epiretinal membranes in PDR.
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Dong
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Zhenyu
authors: Z
authors: Dong
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Satoru
authors: S
authors: Kase
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Ryo
authors: R
authors: Ando
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Junichi
authors: J
authors: Fukuhara
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Kinoshita
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Saori
authors: S
authors: Inafuku
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Yoshiaki
authors: Y
authors: Tagawa
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Erdal Tan
authors: ET
authors: Ishizuka
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Wataru
authors: W
authors: Saito
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Miyuki
authors: M
authors: Murata
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Atsuhiro
authors: A
authors: Kanda
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Kousuke
authors: K
authors: Noda
authors: Laboratory of Ocular Cell Biology and Visual Science, Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 15, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors: Susumu
authors: S
authors: Ishida
keywords: neovascularization; phosphorylated alphaB-crystallin; proliferative diabetic retinopathy; vascular endothelial growth factor