Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Level in the Serum of Diabetic Patients with Retinopathy (original) (raw)

Effect of pan retinal photocoagulation on the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in diabetic patients

International Ophthalmology

This study tests the hypothesis that subjects with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) have a detectable rise in levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is an important regulator of angiogenesis. Our investigation aims to evaluate plasma VEGF changes after pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) in diabetic patients. Twenty-nine type two diabetic patients (17 male, 12 female: mean age 53.13 ± 12.22 years) with PDR secondary to diabetes were studied. Blood samples were obtained before and at 2 months after the last PRP session. Serum VEGF levels were measured by ELISA. After PRP, the mean serum VEGF decreased, but this reduction was not remarkable (88.68 ± 71.09 vs. 77.01 ± 60.33 ng/ml) (P = 0.18). There was a statistically significant difference in serum VEGF changes between patients who had regressed PDR with patients who had progressed PDR (−25.98 ± 47.37 vs. 56.44 ± 31.7 ng/ml) (P = 0.003). Our results showed a significant reduction in levels of serum VEGF in the patients who had successful laser treatment. Our findings suggest that serum VEGF levels could be used for monitoring diabetic retinopathy outcome.

Relationship between Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Levels and Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy and Other Biomarkers

Journal of Ophthalmology, 2020

Aim. is study aims to measure serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in a sample of Jordanian patients and to determine their relationship with the different stages of diabetic retinopathy. It also explores the correlation between VEGF concentrations and different biochemical and demographic findings. Materials and Methods. A total of 167 adults participated in the study. Participants were divided into two main categories: patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 without diabetic retinopathy (DR) (N � 62) and patients with DM type 2 affected by DR (N � 105). DR patients were further subclassified into nonproliferative (N � 41) and proliferative (N � 64). Basic laboratory tests were measured to correlate with VEGF levels. Irisin, a hormone linked to diabetic retinopathy was also measured and correlated with VEGF. Results. Serum VEGF was found to positively correlate with the severity of diabetic retinopathy. e means of VEGF serum concentrations were 60 pg/mL for controls, 133 pg/mL for nonproliferative DR patients, and 229 pg/mL for proliferative DR patients. We found a significant positive correlation with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and a significant negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, age, and irisin. Conclusion. In this cohort of Jordanian diabetics, serum VEGF concentrations strongly correlated with the presence and stages of diabetic retinopathy, suggesting it as an appropriate indicator for diabetic retinopathy early detection and management in this society. VEGF levels also significantly correlated with HbA1c, HDL, and irisin levels. Further studies are encouraged to explore these relationships in other ethnic groups and with different diabetic complications.

Serum vascular endothelial growth factor is a biomolecular biomarker of severity of diabetic retinopathy

International Journal of Retina and Vitreous, 2019

BackgroundElevated serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels are associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Serum VEGF levels correlate with vitreous levels. Neuroretinal changes occur even before the appearance of vascular signs in DR. Role of VEGF as a biomarker for DR has not been assessed. Serum VEGF as a biomarker for severity of DR, was evaluated for the first time.MethodsConsecutive cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus [without DR, (no DR, n = 38); non-proliferative DR, (NPDR, n = 38); proliferative DR, (PDR, n = 40)] and healthy controls (n = 40) were included. Serum VEGF was measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Accuracy of VEGF as a biomarker for severity of retinopathy was measured using the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve.ResultsSerum VEGF levels in controls, No DR, NPDR and PDR groups showed significant incremental trend from 138.96 ± 63.37 pg/ml (controls) to 457.18 ± 165.69 pg/ml (PDR) (F = 48.47;p < 0.001). Serum V...

Relationship between vitreous and serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels, control of diabetes and microalbuminuria in proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Clinical Ophthalmology, 2012

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a serious microvascular disorder of the retina. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, induced by high glucose levels and hypoxia, is a main feature in retinopathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between vitreous and serum VEGF levels and control of diabetes and microalbuminuria in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Methods: Sixty-five patients were enrolled in this case-control study, comprising 30 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (cases) and 35 patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (controls). The vitreous VEGF level was compared with the serum VEGF level in both groups. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ), microalbuminuria, serum creatinine, and stage of nephropathy and retinopathy were also measured in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and the relationship between these parameters and serum and vitreous VEGF levels was investigated. Results: Mean vitreous and serum VEGF levels were significantly higher in cases compared with controls (P = 0.001, P = 0.011, respectively). There was also a significant correlation between vitreous and serum VEGF levels (P = 0.012, r = 0.453). VEGF levels in patients with well controlled blood glucose (P = 0.039), on drug treatment (P = 0.045) and at an early stage of nephropathy (P = 0.042) were significantly lower. There was a significant correlation between VEGF and albumin to creatinine ratio (P = 0.017, r = 0.432). Conclusion: Serum and vitreous VEGF levels was significantly lower in patients on oral therapy, in those with well controlled glycemia, and in those with early-stage retinopathy. Administration of anti-VEGF had a good effect in reducing the progression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Vitreous levels of vascular endothelial growth factor are not influenced by its serum concentrations in diabetic retinopathy

Diabetologia, 1997

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a major role in the development of neovascularization in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). The source of intravitreous VEGF is presumably ischaemic retina, but increased levels derived from serum cannot be excluded. The aim of the study is to determine the intravitreous concentrations of VEGF in diabetic patients with PDR and to investigate whether serum VEGF could contribute to the intravitreous concentration. For this purpose, we studied 20 diabetic patients (5 IDDM and 15 NIDDM) with PDR in whom a vitrectomy was performed (group A). Non-diabetic patients (n = 13) with other conditions requiring vitrectomy served as a control group (group B). In both groups, VEGF was determined in serum and undiluted vitreous samples obtained simultaneously. Furthermore, serum VEGF was determined in 69 healthy control subjects (group C) and 39 diabetic patients without microvascular complications (group D). Vitreous and serum VEGF was determined by ELISA (R & D Systems, Abingdon, UK); intra-assay CV 3.8 %, interassay CV 5.1 %. Intravitreous concentrations of VEGF were strikingly higher in group A (median 1.75 ng/ml, range 0.33–6.66) in comparison with group B (median 0.009 ng/ml, range 0.009–0.038); p < 0.0001. This difference remained significant after adjusting for intravitreous protein concentration (p < 0.05). Differences in serum VEGF among the groups included in the study were not found. We conclude that the high vitreous levels of VEGF observed in diabetic patients with PDR cannot be attributed to serum diffusion across the blood-retinal barrier. Therefore, intraocular synthesis is the main contributing factor for the high vitreous VEGF concentrations observed in PDR. [Diabetologia (1997) 40: 1107–1109]

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

British Journal of Ophthalmology, 1999

Methods-Levels of HGF and VEGF in serum and aqueous humour obtained during ocular surgery were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in 58 diabetic patients with 32 non-diabetic patients (NDM) as controls. The patients 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 proliferative DR (PDR; 37 cases). Results-No significant diVerences 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.

Pro- and antiangiogenic VEGF and its receptor status for the severity of diabetic retinopathy

Molecular vision, 2017

Alteration of pro- and antiangiogenic homeostasis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoforms in patients with hyperglycemia seems crucial but substantially unexplored at least quantitatively for diabetic retinopathy (DR). Therefore, in the present study we aimed to estimate the difference between the pro- (VEGFa) and antiangiogenic (VEGFb) VEGF isoforms and its soluble receptors for severity of DR. The study included 123 participants (diabetic retinopathy: 81, diabetic control: 20, non-diabetic control: 22) from the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Kolkata. The protein levels of VEGFa (proangiogenic), VEGFb (antiangiogenic), VEGF receptor 1 (VEGFR1), VEGFR2, and VEGFR3 in plasma were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). An imbalance in VEGF homeostasis, a statistically significant concomitant increase (p<0.0001) in the level of VEGFa and a decrease in the level of VEGFb, was observed with the severity of the disease. Increased differences betw...

Vitreous and Serum Concentrations of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Clinical Ophthalmology

This study aimed to investigate the concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in vitreous and serum samples, analyze the ratio, and compare among proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) subgroups. Patients and Methods: This study included 17 eyes of patients with PDR, identified as the PDR group which was divided into three subgroups (vitreous hemorrhage [VH], VH with fibrotic tissues, and tractional retinal detachment), and five control eyes (nucleus and intraocular lens drop). Vitreous and serum samples were obtained on the same day. The VEGF-A and PDGF-AB concentrations were calculated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The VEGF-A and PDGF-AB concentrations in vitreous samples were significantly higher in the PDR group (630.72 ± 342.81 pg/mL) compared with those in the control group (153.58 ± 145.85 pg/mL); however, they were not detected in serum samples. The vitreous/ serum ratio of the VEGF-A concentration in the PDR group (2.1 ± 1.8) was significantly higher compared with that in the control group (0.31 ± 0.33). The VEGF-A concentrations in vitreous samples were highest in the VH group and lowest in the VH with fibrotic tissue subgroup (mean difference 536.16 pg/mL). The vitreous VEGF-A/PDGF-AB concentration ratios were also significantly different among the PDR subgroups. Conclusion: High concentrations of VEGF and PDGF in vitreous samples of PDR eyes indicate its local related activity in PDR pathology. There is a possibility of PDGF involvement in the pathogenesis of PDR. The VEGF/PDGF concentration ratios possibly play a significant role in the formation of fibrotic tissue in PDR.