Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor, and Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor Expression in the Neovascular Iris in Retinal Diseases

Increased expression of periostin and tenascin-C in eyes with neovascular glaucoma secondary to PDR

PURPOSE

To investigate periostin (PN) and tenascin-C (TNC) expression in the aqueous humor and trabeculectomy specimens of patients with neovascular glaucoma (NVG) secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

METHODS

This study enrolled 37 eyes of 37 patients who were grouped into (1) NVG secondary to PDR (NVG; n = 8); (2) PDR without NVG (PDR; n = 9); (3) primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG; n = 11); and (4) cataract surgery patients as a control group (CG; n = 9). Aqueous humor samples were collected from the anterior chamber at the start of surgery or intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drug. The concentrations of PN, TNC, VEGF, and TGF-β2 (transforming growth factor-beta 2) were measured by ELISA. Sclerostomy tissues containing trabecular meshwork were obtained from two NVG patients and a POAG patient who underwent trabeculectomy surgery. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to determine the localization of PN and TNC expression in the sclerostomy tissues.

RESULTS

PN and TNC-C levels were below detection threshold in the POAG and CG groups. The NVG group had significantly higher levels of PN and TNC compared with the PDR group (84.7 ng/ml vs 2.2 ng/ml and 18.5 ng/ml vs 4.6 ng/ml, respectively; p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the levels of PN and TNC-C in the NVG group (r = 0.86, p < 0.05). We found significant expression of PN in the trabecular meshwork and Schlemm's canal of sclerostomy tissues excised from patients with NVG.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased PN and TNC expression suggests their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of NVG secondary to PDR.