Vascular endothelial growth factors and placenta growth factor in retinal vasculopathies: Current research and future perspectives.
Cytokine Growth Factor Rev
; 39: 102-115, 2018 02.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29248329
ABSTRACT
Vision loss due to disease or degeneration of the eye (retina, choroid, retinal veins, or macula) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. In most cases, vision-threatening ocular diseases are accompanied by abnormal changes in the vasculature of the eye, especially the retina, and these conditions are collectively referred to as retinal vasculopathies. Impaired blood supply or hypoxia stimulates angiogenesis in the vascular and non-vascular sections of the eye, which results in neovascularization, leading to conditions such as diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular degeneration. Studies show that vascular endothelial growth factors VEGF-A, VEGF-B, and placental growth factor (PlGF) are elevated in these diseases, and hence, these factors could be used as markers for disease prognosis and therapy. In this review, we discuss the function of these growth factors in normal development and disease, with focus on ocular disorders and emphasize the importance of accurately determining their levels in the vitreous and serum of patients for correct diagnosis and therapy.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Retinal Diseases
/
Vascular Diseases
/
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
/
Placenta Growth Factor
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Cytokine Growth Factor Rev
Journal subject:
ALERGIA E IMUNOLOGIA
/
BIOQUIMICA
Year:
2018
Document type:
Article