Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C in the Trabecular Meshwork of Patients with Neovascular Glaucoma and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

Abstract

To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)3 in the trabecular meshwork (TM) of patients with glaucoma and cultured TM cells. Methods: The expressions of VEGF-C in angle tissues collected by trabeculectomy from patients with glaucoma and non-glaucomatous choroidal malignant melanoma were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Additionally, VEGF-C concentrations were determined in the aqueous humor of patients with glaucoma by ELISA. The expressions of VEGFR3, which is a receptor of VEGF-C in cultured TM cells, were analyzed by Western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry. Cultured TM cells were stimulated by oxidative stress, hypoxia, or high glucose conditions, and VEGF-C concentrations in supernatants and cell lysates were determined by ELISA. Results: VEGF-C immunoreactivity was positive in TM tissues of glaucoma patients, but not in those of non-glaucomatous controls. VEGF-C concentrations in the aqueous humor of patients with neovascular glaucoma and primary open-angle glaucoma were lower than those with non-glaucoma patients. VEGFR3 was expressed in cultured TM cells. VEGF-C concentrations in supernatants or cell lysates of TM cells cultured under oxidative stress and hypoxia were significantly elevated compared with those under steady conditions (p < 0.05). VEGF-C concentrations in supernatants and cell lysates of TM cells cultured in high glucose were significantly higher than those in low glucose (p < 0.01). Conclusions: VEGF-C was expressed in TM tissues of patients with glaucoma, which was secreted from cultured TM cells under various pathological conditions. These results suggest that VEGF-C may be involved in the pathology of glaucoma.

Rare primary choroidal melanoma in a dog, with optic nerve infiltration

“…Asymmetric, unilateral glaucoma can foreshadow the existence of a neoformation. To better clarify, the most common cause of secondary glaucoma, as established from neoplastic formation, is the "ocular ischemic syndrome", characterized by ischemia, necrosis, and hypoxia of retinal cells, mechanisms that are caused by neoplastic growth and mediated by a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), causing the formation of cell debris, a proliferation of fibrovascular tissue in the iridocorneal angle and neovascularization around the iris, which interferes with the dynamics of aqueous humor drainage and causes intraocular hypertension (Hase et al, 2021;Sahu et al, 2019). Concomitant events like uveitis, endophthalmitis, corneal stromal edema, hyphema, secondary glaucoma, and retinal detachment are almost always present (Badanes et al, 2020;Maggs et al, 2015).…”