Intra-ocular expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pigment epithelial-derived factor (PEDF) in a case of Eales' disease by immunohistochemical analysis: a case report.

We report a immunohistochemical study of expression of VEGF and PEDF in Eales' disease. An enucleated eye from a patient with Eales' disease and an age and sex-matched donor eyeball were subjected to immunohistochemical and histopathological analysis to study the expression of VEGF and PEDF in the retinal region. Strong positive anti-VEGF immunostaining was found around the vessel walls in the retina in the eyeball from the Eales' disease patient compared with the donor control, from which it was almost absent. PEDF staining was detected in the normal donor eyeball retinal layers surrounding the blood vessels, and the photoreceptor and ganglion cell layer, whereas in the eyeball from Eales' disease patient PEDF staining was restricted to the surrounding blood vessels. The strong expression of VEGF in eyes with Eales' disease as opposed to weak expression of PEDF indicates the propensity of the disease to show neovascularization and recurrent hemorrhages.