ANGIOGENIC STIMULANTS IN DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

Abstract

Despite significant improvements in our understanding and treatment of the ocular complications of diabetes mellitus over the last several decades, diabetic retinopathy remains a leading cause of blindness. Although laser photo-coagulation is remarkably effective in preventing visual loss from PDR, the treatment itself is inherently destructive and results in side effects with the potential of significant complications •substantial efforts have therefore been directed at trying to develop non­ destructive therapies with reduced side effects. A better understanding of the role of angiogenic stimulants may provide the basis for a pharmacological approach.

In tllis work, we studied the correlation between diabetic retinopathy and plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nitric oxide (NO) togetl1er with a control group of 12 non diabetic patients. We studied three groups of diabetic patients 26 with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), 10 with non proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and 11 with no retinopathy. Mean plasma levels of VEGF were found to be significantly higher in patients with PDR (mean±SE 31.76±2. 76 ng/mL) compared with patients with non-PDR (mean±SE 19.02±2.61 ng/mL). Also, plasma levels of VEGF were significantly higher in patients with non­ PDR (mean±SE 19.02±2.61 ng/mL) than in patients witl1 no-DR (mean±SE 9.46±3.9 ng/mL).