PATHOLOGICAL HUMAN VITREOUS PROMOTES CONTRACTION BY FIBROBLASTS - IMPLICATIONS FOR PROLIFERATIVE VITREORETINOPATHY

Objectives: To establish and quantify the presence of contraction-stim ulating activity in pathologic vitreous and correlate this activity wi th clinical presentation and outcome, especially with proliferative vi treoretinopathy. Methods: Contraction-stimulating activity of vitreous collected during surgery was quantified with a tissue culture assay u sing fibroblasts as target cells. The activity of each sample was corr elated with patient history, clinical presentation, risk factors, prol iferative disease, and postoperative proliferation. Results: Pathologi c vitreous contained measurable quantities of contraction-stimulating activity and stimulated contraction in vitro, with elevated activities in samples from patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, epimac ular proliferation, retinal detachment, retinal defects, pigmented cel ls in the vitreous, hemorrhage, or uveitis. Patients with postoperativ e proliferation had significantly elevated mean activities. Conclusion s: Levels of contraction-stimulating activity in pathologic vitreous c orrelate with some risk factors for the development of proliferative v itreoretinopathy and may ultimately be useful in the assessment of dis ease severity and the prediction of postoperative proliferation.