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Intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor

  • Basic Science
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate whether a specific pre-analytical stabilization regimen is needed for naïve vitreous taps to detect true values of intrinsic VEGF levels.

Methods

Fourteen consecutive patients with different vitreomacular pathologies without blood–retina-barrier breakdown were scheduled for standard 23-gauge three-port pars plana vitrectomy, and naïve vitreous taps were sampled at the beginning of each procedure. The extracted vitreous specimen was split; one half was immediately stored in a −20 °C freezer (unstabilized samples) and the other half was instantly stabilized with albumin (2.5 % final conc.), followed by arginine stabilization (1.25 M final conc.) and consecutively stored in a −20 °C freezer (stabilized samples).

Results

Intravitreal VEGF was detected in all 14 analyzed samples (100 %). VEGF levels were shown to be 46.5 pg/ml ± 62.3 pg/ml (MV ± SD; range: 5.99–232.3 pg/ml) in unstabilized, and 120.4 pg/ml ± 94.4 pg/ml (range: 42.9 pg/ml–289.6 pg/ml) in stabilized vitreous samples. Intravitreal VEGF levels in stabilized vitreous samples were on average 2.6-fold, and thus significantly higher than in unstabilized taps of same eyes (p = 0.001, Wilcoxon test). VEGF levels in stabilized vitreous samples can be up to 8.5 times higher than in corresponding unstabilized vitreous taps of same eyes (bootstrap analysis). Intravitreal VEGF levels in unstabilized samples correlate with those in stabilized vitreous taps (r = 0.594; p = 0.025; Pearson).

Conclusions

An adequate pre-analytic stabilization regimen is needed to evaluate the most accurate intravitreal VEGF levels. This in turn will result in a better understanding of the physiological as well as pathological role of VEGF within the eye. Furthermore, knowing the true value of intravitreal VEGF levels will help to calculate the dosage of intravitrealy applied anti-VEGF drugs.

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Conflict of interest

None of the authors declares an actual or potential conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Philipps-University Marburg, Baldingerstraße, 35043, Marburg, Germany

    Thomas Bertelmann, Stephan Schulze, Reka Bölöni & Walter Sekundo

  2. Freelance Collaborator, Marburg, Germany

    Sebastian Irle

  3. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany

    Thomas Stief

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Feldkirch Regional Hospital, Feldkirch, Austria

    Stefan Mennel

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  1. Thomas Bertelmann
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  2. Stephan Schulze
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Correspondence to Thomas Bertelmann.

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Bertelmann, T., Schulze, S., Bölöni, R. et al. Intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 252, 583–588 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-014-2577-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-014-2577-7

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