Angiogenesis regulatory factors in the vitreous from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy

We determined the levels of the endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1), thrombospondin (TSP)-1 and TSP-2 in the vitreous fluid from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and correlated their levels with clinical disease activity and the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Vitreous samples from 30 PDR and 25 nondiabetic patients were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. TSP-1 was not detected. VEGF and TSP-2 levels were significantly higher in PDR with active neovascularization compared with inactive PDR and nondiabetic patients (P < 0.001 for both comparisons). VEGF, sVEGFR-1 and TSP-2 levels were significantly higher in PDR with hemorrhage compared with PDR without hemorrhage and nondiabetic patients (P = 0.0063; 0.0144; <0.001, respectively). VEGF and sVEGFR-1 levels were significantly higher in PDR without traction retinal detachment (TRD) compared with PDR with TRD and nondiabetic patients (P = 0.038; 0.022, respectively). TSP-2 levels were significantly higher in PDR with TRD compared with PDR without TRD and nondiabetic patients (P < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between levels of VEGF and sVEGFR-1 (r = 0.427, P = 0.038). Our findings suggest that upregulation of sVEGFR-1 and TSP-2 may be a protective mechanism against progression of angiogenesis associated with PDR. TSP-2 might be associated with TRD.