PURPOSE: To determine the level of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in aqueous humors of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). METHODS: A prospective, comparative control study. Aqueous humor was collected from 16 eyes of 16 patients with RP. The level of VEGF-A was determined with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The control group comprised 16 aqueous samples from 16 patients about to undergo cataract surgery and without any other ocular or systemic diseases. RESULTS: The concentration of VEGF-A in aqueous humor was markedly lower in patients with RP than in control subjects (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.001). The level of VEGF-A was 94.9 +/- 99.8 (mean +/- SD) pg/mL in eyes with RP and 336.5 +/- 116.8 pg/mL in the eyes of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with RP, the concentration of VEGF-A in aqueous humors is lower than in non-RP subjects. The lack of angiogenic actions attributed to VEGF-A may explain some of the clinical manifestations of this disease, such as narrowing and fibrotic degeneration of retinal blood vessels.
PURPOSE: To determine the level of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in aqueous humors of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). METHODS: A prospective, comparative control study. Aqueous humor was collected from 16 eyes of 16 patients with RP. The level of VEGF-A was determined with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The control group comprised 16 aqueous samples from 16 patients about to undergo cataract surgery and without any other ocular or systemic diseases. RESULTS: The concentration of VEGF-A in aqueous humor was markedly lower in patients with RP than in control subjects (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.001). The level of VEGF-A was 94.9 +/- 99.8 (mean +/- SD) pg/mL in eyes with RP and 336.5 +/- 116.8 pg/mL in the eyes of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with RP, the concentration of VEGF-A in aqueous humors is lower than in non-RP subjects. The lack of angiogenic actions attributed to VEGF-A may explain some of the clinical manifestations of this disease, such as narrowing and fibrotic degeneration of retinal blood vessels.
Authors: Cristina Martínez-Fernández de la Cámara; David Salom; Ma Dolores Sequedo; David Hervás; Cristina Marín-Lambíes; Elena Aller; Teresa Jaijo; Manuel Díaz-Llopis; José María Millán; Regina Rodrigo Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-09-12 Impact factor: 3.240