Pathogenesis of Macular Edema With Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion and Intraocular Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Interleukin-6

Noma, Hidetaka; Funatsu, Hideharu; Yamasaki, Makiko; Tsukamoto, Hidetoshi; Mimura, Tatsuya; Sone, Takashi; Jian, Koji; Sakamoto, Ikuo; Nakano, Kensuke; Yamashita, Hidetoshi; Minamoto, Atsushi; Mishima, Hiromu K.

doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2005.03.003

« Previous Next »American Journal of Ophthalmology
Volume 140, Issue 2 , Pages 256.e1-256.e7, August 2005

Pathogenesis of Macular Edema With Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion and Intraocular Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Interleukin-6

Hidetaka Noma, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Inquiries to Hidetaka Noma, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3, Kasumi-cho, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan; fax: 81-82-257-5249
Hideharu Funatsu, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology, Diabetes Center, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
Makiko Yamasaki, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Hidetoshi Tsukamoto, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Tatsuya Mimura, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Takashi Sone, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Koji Jian, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Ikuo Sakamoto, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Kensuke Nakano, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chuden Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
Hidetoshi Yamashita, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
Atsushi Minamoto, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Hiromu K. Mishima, MD
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

Accepted 1 March 2005. published online 23 May 2005.

Purpose

To determine whether correlations between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) contribute to the pathogenesis of macular edema in eyes of patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Design

Retrospective case-control study.

Methods

Nineteen patients with macular edema with BRVO and seven patients with non-ischemic ocular disease (control group) were studied. The degree of retinal ischemia was evaluated in terms of the area of capillary non-perfusion, and the severity of macular edema was examined by optical coherence tomography. Aqueous humor samples were obtained at the time of combined vitrectomy and cataract surgery, and VEGF and IL-6 levels in aqueous humor and plasma were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Aqueous levels of VEGF (351 ± 273 pg/ml) and IL-6 (7.10 ± 6.51 pg/ml) were significantly elevated in patients with BRVO compared with the control patients (119 ± 38.7 pg/ml and 2.27 ± 1.11 pg/ml, respectively) (P = .0017 and P = .0052, respectively). Aqueous level of VEGF was significantly correlated with that of IL-6 (P = .0396), and aqueous levels of VEGF and IL-6 were correlated with the size of the BRVO non-perfused area (P < .0001 and P = .0331, respectively). Aqueous level of VEGF was correlated with the severity of macular edema (P = .0306).

Conclusions

VEGF and IL-6 may be involved in the pathogenesis of macular edema with BRVO. The increase in these cytokines might be used as a unique index of BRVO, through which we can determine the severity of the ischemic condition as being in a quiescent state or an exacerbation of macular edema.