Vitreous levels of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1 in eyes with vitreoretinal diseases

Background/aims: To determine the vitreous levels of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (sVEGFR)-1 in patients with various vitreoretinal diseases, and to investigate its correlation with patients' age and the activity of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods: Vitreous fluid samples were obtained from 187 eyes of 170 patients who underwent vitrectomy for the treatment of idiopathic macular hole (MH, n=30), branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO, n=37), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO, n=27), diabetic macular oedema (DME, n=42) and PDR (n=51). The levels of sVEGFR-1 in the vitreous were measured by ELISA. Results: The levels of sVEGFR-1 (pg/ml) were not significantly different among each disease examined (MH 3900.1±1188.9, BRVO 3969.7±1741.6, CRVO 4897.7±1717.7, DME 3856.21±1374.7, PDR 4212.3±1474.9). There was a significant positive correlation between vitreous concentrations of sVEGFR-1 and patients' age (r=0.430, p<0.01). The sVEGFR-1 concentration in subjects with active PDR was significantly lower than in those with quiescent PDR (p<0.0001), even after being adjusted for age (p<0.0001). Conclusions: Vitreous concentrations of sVEGFR-1 increase with advancing age and are associated with quiescent rather than active PDR even after adjustment for age.