BACKGROUND: Although vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a primary mediator of retinal angiogenesis, VEGF inhibition alone is insufficient to prevent retinal neovascularization. Hence, it is postulated that there are other potent ischemia-induced angiogenic factors. Erythropoietin possesses angiogenic activity, but its potential role in ocular angiogenesis is not established. METHODS: We measured both erythropoietin and VEGF levels in the vitreous fluid of 144 patients with the use of radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Vitreous proliferative potential was measured according to the growth of retinal endothelial cells in vitro and with soluble erythropoietin receptor. In addition, a murine model of ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization was used to evaluate erythropoietin expression and regulation in vivo. RESULTS: The median vitreous erythropoietin level in 73 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy was significantly higher than that in 71 patients without diabetes (464.0 vs. 36.5 mIU per milliliter, P<0.001). The median VEGF level in patients with retinopathy was also significantly higher than that in patients without diabetes (345.0 vs. 3.9 pg per milliliter, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic-regression analyses indicated that erythropoietin and VEGF were independently associated with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and that erythropoietin was more strongly associated with the presence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy than was VEGF. Erythropoietin and VEGF gene-expression levels are up-regulated in the murine ischemic retina, and the blockade of erythropoietin inhibits retinal neovascularization in vivo and endothelial-cell proliferation in the vitreous of patients with diabetic retinopathy in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that erythropoietin is a potent ischemia-induced angiogenic factor that acts independently of VEGF during retinal angiogenesis in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Copyright 2005 Massachusetts Medical Society.
BACKGROUND: Although vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a primary mediator of retinal angiogenesis, VEGF inhibition alone is insufficient to prevent retinal neovascularization. Hence, it is postulated that there are other potent ischemia-induced angiogenic factors. Erythropoietin possesses angiogenic activity, but its potential role in ocular angiogenesis is not established. METHODS: We measured both erythropoietin and VEGF levels in the vitreous fluid of 144 patients with the use of radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Vitreous proliferative potential was measured according to the growth of retinal endothelial cells in vitro and with soluble erythropoietin receptor. In addition, a murine model of ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization was used to evaluate erythropoietin expression and regulation in vivo. RESULTS: The median vitreous erythropoietin level in 73 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy was significantly higher than that in 71 patients without diabetes (464.0 vs. 36.5 mIU per milliliter, P<0.001). The median VEGF level in patients with retinopathy was also significantly higher than that in patients without diabetes (345.0 vs. 3.9 pg per milliliter, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic-regression analyses indicated that erythropoietin and VEGF were independently associated with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and that erythropoietin was more strongly associated with the presence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy than was VEGF. Erythropoietin and VEGF gene-expression levels are up-regulated in the murineischemic retina, and the blockade of erythropoietin inhibits retinal neovascularization in vivo and endothelial-cell proliferation in the vitreous of patients with diabetic retinopathy in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that erythropoietin is a potent ischemia-induced angiogenic factor that acts independently of VEGF during retinal angiogenesis in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Copyright 2005 Massachusetts Medical Society.
Authors: Andreas Stahl; Kip M Connor; Przemyslaw Sapieha; Jing Chen; Roberta J Dennison; Nathan M Krah; Molly R Seaward; Keirnan L Willett; Christopher M Aderman; Karen I Guerin; Jing Hua; Chatarina Löfqvist; Ann Hellström; Lois E H Smith Journal: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci Date: 2010-06 Impact factor: 4.799
Authors: Sirpa Loukovaara; Kaisa Lehti; Alexandra Robciuc; Timo Pessi; Juha M Holopainen; Katri Koli; Ilkka Immonen; Jorma Keski-Oja Journal: Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol Date: 2013-11-12 Impact factor: 3.117
Authors: Jing Chen; Kip M Connor; Christopher M Aderman; Keirnan L Willett; Oskar P Aspegren; Lois E H Smith Journal: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci Date: 2008-10-24 Impact factor: 4.799
Authors: Zongzhong Tong; Zhenglin Yang; Shrena Patel; Haoyu Chen; Daniel Gibbs; Xian Yang; Vincent S Hau; Yuuki Kaminoh; Jennifer Harmon; Erik Pearson; Jeanette Buehler; Yuhong Chen; Baifeng Yu; Nicholas H Tinkham; Norman A Zabriskie; Jiexi Zeng; Ling Luo; Jennifer K Sun; Manvi Prakash; Rola N Hamam; Stephen Tonna; Ryan Constantine; Cecinio C Ronquillo; SriniVas Sadda; Robert L Avery; John M Brand; Nyall London; Alfred L Anduze; George L King; Paul S Bernstein; Scott Watkins; Lynn B Jorde; Dean Y Li; Lloyd Paul Aiello; Martin R Pollak; Kang Zhang Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2008-05-05 Impact factor: 11.205