MACROPHAGES IN PROLIFERATIVE VITREORETINOPATHY AND PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC-RETINOPATHY - DIFFERENTIATION OF SUBPOPULATIONS

Macrophages have long been known to play a major role in the pathogene sis of proliferative vitreoretinal disorders. Using the monoclonal ant ibodies EBM11 (pan macrophage), 27E10 (early inflammatory stage marker ), and RM3/1 (healing phase marker), different subpopulations of macro phages were differentiated in surgically removed membranes from patien ts with macular pucker (n=6), proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) fo llowing rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (n=11), traumatic PVR (n=19) , and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) (n=11). Macrophages wer e predominantly found in traumatic PVR and PDR. Some healing phase (RM 3/1) macrophages were detected in all disease entities. Inflammatory s tage macrophages (positive staining for 27E10) could not be detected i n PVR following rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and idiopathic macul ar pucker. In traumatic PVR inflammatory stage macrophages were associ ated with a short history of disease whereas in PDR all types of macro phages could be detected regardless of clinical history and duration o f the disease.