Expreion of VEGF and angiopoietin in ubfoveal membrane from patient with age-related macular degeneration

Purpoe Vacular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin are key regulator of angiogenei. The purpoe of thi tudy wa to meaure mRNA level of thee factor and of their receptor in urgically excied ubfoveal membrane from patient with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to evaluate their relevance a prognotic marker of poturgical recurrence of choroidal neovacularization (CNV). Deign Propective obervational cae erie. Method etting: Intitutional. tudy population: In a propective erie of 24 patient (aged 51 to 91 year) with claic CNV of AMD diagnoed le than 6 month previouly, 24 ubfoveal membrane (one eye per patient) were urgically removed and collected. Thirteen patient underwent treatment for recurrence of CNV within 6 month of urgery. main outcome meaure: Four 8-μ ection were prepared from each membrane for immunohitochemical determination of vacular denity (CD31 immunotaining). The remaining tiue wa ued for preparation of total RNA. The level of VEGF-A, VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2, neuropilin-1, angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, Tie-2, and hypoxanthine phophoriboyltranferae mRNA were determined by real-time revere-trancriptae polymerae chain reaction. Reult Vacular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin-1, and angiopoietin-2 appeared to be expreed to variable level in mot ample, wherea Tie-2, VEGF-R1, and VEGF-R2 were undetectable. Low level of VEGF expreion correlated with poturgical recurrence of CNV (P = .07). Angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 level did not predict recurrence (P > .1). Concluion The reult indicate that at the time of urgical exciion, ubfoveal membrane expre angiopoietin-1, VEGF, and, to a leer degree, angiopoietin-2. Becaue CNV appear to recur le often in membrane expreing high level of VEGF, we hypotheize that VEGF act a a tabilizer of neoveel at thi tage of the dieae.