The relation between VEGF therapies and diabetic retinopathy
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Mobina Ghannadzade,1,*
1. Varastegan University of Medical Science
- Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy is a major public health and economical burden worldwide. Clinical findings and surgical results showed the use of antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents (anti-VEGFs) for treating diabetic retinopathy (VEGF is one of the important survival factors for endothelial cell). Risk factors and anatomical or functional success in recent years proved effect of anti-VEGFs on diabetic retinopathy.
- Methods: As we searched we find out 423 article about this topic. 49 articles were not in English and68 of them did not have enough evidence for their studies. Also 56 were not updated and did not have fresh results.215 of them were related to our study and among those, 35 had useful and new information. Thus we utilized articles that were beneficial.
- Results: VEGF plays pivotal role in the development of diabetic retinopathy. Based on experiments and investigations,Serum levels of VEGF were detected by ELISA were significantly high in patients with diabetic retinopathy. In addition, gap junction-dependent intercellular communication in various nonretinal vascular cells can be inhibited by VEGF.
Furthermore, VEGF was expressed in the vessels of fibrovascular membrance (FVMs) marked with anti-CD34 antibody (recognized as a microvascular endothelial cell marker). This suggested that VEGF was involved in angiogenesis and contributed to the formation of FVM in diabetic retinopathy progress.
To supporting the importance of posttranscriptional mechanisms; the increased abundance of VEGF protein expression in response to diabetes was observed in the absence of a change in VEGF mRNA expression.
As a result, the patients that were in process of studies, presented a very good response to the treatment. Already after first anti-VEGF intravitreal injection the substantial decrease in central retinal thickness was to observe.
- Conclusion: It could be explained by the fact, that VEGF is a secreted protein and loss of VEGF produced by a single cell-type can be compensated by others. Additionally, Delineating detailed mechanisms provided that the presence of at least seven VEGF receptors and coreceptors accounts for the difficulties in revealing their mechanisms.
Consequently, Several lines of evidence point that VEGF act as a key regulator of diabetic retinopathy and provide a potential tool for risk assessment in diabetic patients.
- Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
