Comparison of the levels of hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in aqueous fluid and serum with grades of retinopathy in patients with diabetes mellitus
K. Shinoda et al., Comparison of the levels of hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in aqueous fluid and serum with grades of retinopathy in patients with diabetes mellitus, BR J OPHTH, 83(7), 1999, pp. 834-837
Aims-To determine the relation between the stages of diabetic retinopathy (
DR) and the levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endotheli
al growth factor (VEGF) in aqueous fluid and serum.
Methods-Levels of HGF and VEGF in serum and aqueous humour obtained during
ocular surgery were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in 58 dia
betic patients with 32 non-diabetic patients (NDM) as controls. The patient
s with diabetes were classified into three groups according to the stage of
DR: no DR (NDR; 15 cases), non-proliferative DR (NPDR; six cases), and pro
liferative DR (PDR; 37 cases).
Results-No significant differences were found between any of the groups in
serum concentrations of HGF or VEGF. The aqueous HGF levels increased with
the stage of DR: NDM, median 397 pg/ml, range 133-930 pg/ml; NDR, 371 pg/ml
, 142-1536 pg/ml; NPDR, 455 pg/ml, 162-1007 pg/ml; and PDR, 638 pg/ml, 187-
2222 pg/ml. The aqueous VEGF levels in PDR (median 212 pg/ml, range 14-1216
pg/ml) were significantly higher than in NDM (105 pg/ml, 9-203 pg/ml), but
aqueous HGF concentrations were unrelated to those of VEGF.
Conclusion-The results of the present study suggest that both HGF and VEGF
present in the ocular tissues may play important roles in the progression o
f DR.