Abstract:AIM: To determine the relations between the changes of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)concentration in plasma, aqueous humor and vitreous of patients with diabetic retinopathy(DR)and proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR), as well as to find if the condition of metabolism control of patients with DR may affect the VEGF level.
METHODS: Double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of VEGF concentration in plasma of non-diabetic retinopathy(NDR)patients group, background diabetic retinopathy(BDR)patients group, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)patients group. The levels of HbAlc in plasma of patients in above three groups were measured at the same time. The VEGF concentration in aqueous humor, vitreous of PDR patients group and normal group was also measured for further comprehensive analysis. Human VEGF immunoassay Quantikine with high sensibility and quality was imported from R& D Co. LTD., USA.
RESULTS: There was an increasing tendency in the VEGF concentration in aqueous humor of PDR patients group. There was no statistically significant difference as it was compared with normal group(P>0.05). The VEGF concentration in vitreous of PDR patients group was obviously increased, there was significant difference as it was compared with normal group(P<0.01). It showed an increasing tendency of VEGF concentration in turn in plasma, aqueous humor and vitreous of the 3 PDR patients selves. It showed that there was significant difference among VEGF concentration in plasma, aqueous humor and vitreous of all the PDR patients(P<0.01). In normal group there was no significant difference among VEGF concentration in plasma, aqueous humor and vitreous(P>0.05). In normal group the VEGF concentration in plasma was the highest, but in PDR patients group the VEGF concentration in vitreous was the highest.
CONCLUSION: The significantly increased VEGF concentration in eyes, especially in vitreous of PDR patients may play an important role in development and deterioration of DR. It was clear that VEGF played its normal biological functions mainly in plasma in normal human. In severe DR patients, abnormal high may come from ischemic and VEGF concentration in vitreous suggested that it hypoxic retina and there was a tendency to diffuse towards the front of eyes.
