INDUCTION OF ARACHIDONIC-ACID METABOLITE RELEASE BY HUMAN FIBROBLASTSIN PROLIFERATIVE VITREORETINOPATHY

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy is a severe ocular disorder characteri zed by unwanted proliferation of cells and excessive production of fib rous tissue, which leads to the formation of cellular membranes on the surface of the retina and in the vitreous. Proliferative vitreoretino pathy is the most common cause of failure in retinal reattachment surg ery, approximately occurring in one out of ten operated eves. Prolifer ation of retinal pigment epithelial cells and fibroblasts is a corners tone in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. An in vit ro-proliferation assay showed previously that intraocular fluid from p atients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy is potently effective in stimulating proliferation of human fibroblasts. Here we show that expo sure of human fibroblasts to vitreous fluids from patients with prolif erative vitreoretinopathy causes a rapid and sustained increase in ara chidonic acid metabolite release as measured by competitive enzyme-imm unoassay. The findings implicate prostaglandin E-2 as a contributor to enhanced intraocular fibrosis in proliferative vitreoretinopathy. As prostaglandin E-2 is a mediator of continuous aqueous-blood retinal ba rrier breakdown in this severe disease, cycclooxygenase inhibitors suc h as acetylsalicylic acid, which was successfully used in this study f or blocking the effect of intraocular fluid, may be useful agents in t argeting the progression of intraocular fibrosis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sc ience B.V.