AIM: To investigate the changes of serum angiogenic factors including vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)in Mongolia patients with diabetic retinopathy(DR)and to explore their roles in the progress of DR.

METHODS: Eighty-three patients with diabetes were divided into three groups according to the retinopathy, no DR group(NDR, 25 cases), background DR(NPDR, 31 cases)and proliferative DR group(PDR, 27 cases), and 36 age-matched healthy people(control group)were selected. Serum concentrations of VEGF and bFGF were measured using ELISA method.

RESULTS:In Mongolia patients with diabetes, the serum concentrations of VEGF and bFGF were higher than those in control group; the serum concentrations of VEGF and bFGF in PDR group was higher than those of NDR and NPDR group(P<0.05); the concentrations of VEGF and bFGF in NPDR group was higher than that of NDR group(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: High level of VEGF and bFGF may be the important pathogenic factors for DR in Mongolia patients.