AIM:To explore the correlation of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)level and microvascular damage degree in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy(DR).

METHODS:Seventy-one patients with diabetes were analyzed retrospectively, and divided into 3 groups according to the degree of DR:the pure diabetes group(n=31), the pure DR group(n=22)and the proliferative DR group(n=18). The incidence of microvascular damage was compared; At the same time, fasting venous blood of patients was extracted, and the VEGF levels were detected with ELISA kits, the endothelial cells(ECs), endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs)and circulating progenitor cells(CPCs)counts were detected with flow cytometry.

RESULTS:The incidence of diabetic nephropathy and diabetic neuropathy was significantly different in three groups, proliferative DR group was higher than pure DR group and pure diabetes group, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). There was difference in VEGF levels among groups, the proliferative DR group was higher than the pure DR group the pure diabetes group, and the pure DR group was higher than the pure diabetes group(P<0.05,P<0.01). VEGF levels in patients complicated with diabetic nephropathy and diabetic neuropathy were higher than the non-complicated patients, the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). There was significant difference in ECs, EPCs and CPCs among groups, the ECs of proliferative DR group was higher than that of the pure DR group the pure diabetes group, and that of the pure DR group was higher than that of the pure diabetes group(P<0.01), but EPCs and CPCs reversed. The VEGF level had positively correlation with ECs level(P<0.01), and had negatively correlation with EPCs and CPCs levels(P<0.01)in patients with proliferative DR.

CONCLUSION:VEGF has important significance in the clinical diagnosis and medical treatment of diabetic retinopathy, especially proliferative diabetic retinopathy.