Expression Of Connective Tissue Growth Factor In Epiretinal Membranes And Cultured Human Vascular Endothelial Cells

ObjectiveTo evaluate the expression of connective tissue growth factor ( CTGF) in epiretinal membranes ( ERM) from patients with proliferative diabeticretinophy (PDR) and cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells ( HUVECs) ; To investigate the effect of vitreous fluid on HUVECs function.METHODS(1) Using immunohistochemical methods, we analyzed CTGF expression in fifteen surgically excised epiretinal membranes related to PDR and four normal retinae from Eye Bank donor eyes without retinal disease.(2) Cultured HUVECs came from the umbilical core of health newborn baby by means of Jaffe's methods and divided into A group and B group in random. A group was cultured under PDR vitreous fluid and B group was incubated under health men vitreous fluid for 24 hour. The expression of CTGF in HUVECs cultures was determined by means of immunohistochemical methods. The effects of PDR vitreous fluid on HUVECs tube formation were observed.RESULT(1) Vascularized human epiretinal membranes showed strong CTGF immu-noreactivity. The results of experiment disclosed colocalization of CTGF with vascular endothelial cells and fibroblast - like cells. It showed statistically sig-...