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(American Journal of Pathology. 2000;156:1337-1344.)
© 2000 American Society for Investigative Pathology

Regular Articles

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Hepatocyte Growth Factor Levels Are Differentially Elevated in Patients with Advanced Retinopathy of Prematurity

Kameran Lashkari^*, Tatsuo Hirose^*, Jinoos Yazdany, J. Wallace McMeel^*, Andrius Kazlauskas^* and Nader Rahimi^§

From The Schepens Eye Research Institute,^*
Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Schepens Retina Associates,
Boston, Massachusetts; the School of Medicine,
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; and the Department of Ophthalmology,^§
School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Although the roles of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in angiogenesis are well described, the putative roles of these factors in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remain unknown. We evaluated VEGF and HGF protein levels in subretinal fluid of eyes with ROP, and expression of their corresponding receptors in retrolental membranes associated with stage 5 ROP. We examined subretinal fluid samples from eyes using rhegmatogenous retinal detachment as a control. VEGF and HGF were differentially elevated in eyes with ROP. In Stage 5 ROP (n = 22), the mean VEGF and HGF levels were 14.77 ± 14.01 ng/ml and 16.56 ± 9.62 ng/ml, respectively. Interestingly, in patients with active stage 4 ROP, mean VEGF levels were highly elevated (44.16 ± 18.72 ng/ml), whereas mean HGF levels remained very low (4.77 ± 2.50 ng/ml). Next, we investigated in vivo expression of VEGF receptor-2 and HGF receptor in retrolental membranes from 16 patients with stage 5 ROP. Both VEGF receptor-2 and HGF receptor proteins were detected mainly in posterior portions of the membrane as well as in vessel walls and along the retinal interface where angiogenesis was active. These findings together suggest that VEGF and HGF play important roles in the pathogenesis of ROP.

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