Eyes may have natural anti-angiogenic response

The vitreous of eyes with retinal or choroidal neovascularisation appear to have higher levels of both pro-angiogenic factors and anti-angiogenic factors compared to eyes without the neovascularisations, according to a new study. The study involved 29 patients from whom vitreous samples were obtained in order to quantify the angiogenesis-associated proteins present via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The researchers found that vitreous levels of the anti-angiogenic VEGF receptor 1 (sVEGFR-1) were significantly higher in eyes with AMD with CNV and in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy than in control eyes. In addition, the concentrations of the anti-angiogenic protein, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) were decreased and that of proangiogenic angiopoietin 2 were increased. The authors concluded that higher amounts of sVEGFR-1 may point to activation of an endogenous anti-angiogenic system in the protein network. 

•  (Huber et al Ophthalmologica 2012 (DOI: 10.1159/000339952.)