Non-paralleled increase of hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in the eyes with angiogenic and nonangiogenic fibroproliferation.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been known as principal angiogenic factor in vasculogenesis, tumor angiogenesis and ocular angiogenesis. Currently, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been reported to play a major role in ocular angiogenesis. We studied distribution of both growth factors in angiogenic and non-angiogenic fibroproliferation to determine the correlation of VEGF and HGF in retinal angiogenesis. Concentrations of VEGF and HGF molecules in vitreous samples from 27 eyes with angiogenic proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and 9 eyes with non-angiogenic proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Vitreous samples with idiopathic macular role (IMH) served as a control. Concentrations of VEGF in the angiogenic PDR were 4.3 +/- 5.8 ng/ml (mean +/- SD), and were significantly higher than in non-angiogenic PVR (0.5 +/- 0.1 ng/ml). No significant differences were observed on VEGF concentrations between PVR to control. On the contrary, HGF concentrations were significantly higher in PVR (22.5 +/- 21.8 ng/ml) than in control (6.9 +/- 5.2 ng/ml), those of PDR (24.0 +/- 16.3 ng/ml) were also significantly higher than control. Among PDR samples, VEGF concentration was significantly higher than in the subgroup with higher angiogenic activity represented by iris neovascularization, although there were no significant differences on HGF concentration between the subgroups. Focal increases in HGF on fibroproliferation in the eye regardless of the involvement of angiogenesis were not in remarkable relation with angiogenic activity, unlike VEGF. These data suggested a more extensive role of HGF than VEGF strictly related to angiogenesis. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel