Role of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptors-1 and -2, their ligands, and other factors in branch retinal vein occlusion with macular edema.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between multiple factors in aqueous humor and the severity of macular edema in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

METHODS

We measured the aqueous humor levels of 11 factors (including vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, growth factors, and inflammatory factors) in BRVO patients with macular edema and in cataract patients as controls. Aqueous humor samples were obtained from 40 patients (31 patients with BRVO and 9 with cataract). Then the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble VEGF receptor (sVEGFR)-1, sVEGFR-2, placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-12(p70), and IL-13 were measured by the suspension array method. Macular edema was examined by optical coherence tomography, and its severity was determined from the central macular thickness (CMT), neurosensory retinal thickness (TNeuro), and subfoveal serous retinal thickness (SRT).

RESULTS

Aqueous humor levels of growth factors, sVEGFR-1, sVEGFR-2, and inflammatory factors were significantly higher in eyes with BRVO than in control eyes. Aqueous levels of sVEGFR-1 and -2 were significantly correlated with the SRT, as well as with the levels of growth factors (PIGF and PDGF-AA) and various inflammatory factors (sICAM-1, MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8). Levels of the growth factors (VEGF, PlGF, and PDGF-AA) were also significantly correlated with each other.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest the importance of the cytokine network in BRVO patients, and may contribute to understanding the mechanism of macular edema associated with BRVO and to development of new treatments.