Vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors in diabetic cataract
Kuzmin AG, Lipatov DV, Abrosimov AUy, Smirnova OM, Shestakova MV
Endocrinology Research Centre, Moscow, Russian Federation
The aim of the study was to indentify the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors 1 and 2 types (VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R2 respectively) in diabetic cataract.
Materials and methods: 10 cataracts from diabetic patients undergone the extracapsular cataract extraction were studied. The age of included patients was 69,9±7,69 years, all patients had diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2, almost all patients took insulin for diabetes treatment.
Results: We observed immunoexpression of VEGF only in 2 of 10 diabetic cataracts on the cytoplasmic membrane of the lens fibers. There weren't the immunoexpression of VEGF-R1. But VEGF-R2 was found both on cortical subcapsular lens fibers and lens epithelium cells in all sections.
Discussion: VEGF is known as the necessary factor for normal growth and development of the eye. For example, it supplies metabolic effect to the retinal pigment epithelium and also is detected in normal lens during ontogenesis. In diabetic patients the lens opacification develops earlier and has than among nondiabetic population.
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