Expreion of VEGF and PEDF in Choroidal Neovacular Membrane Following Verteporfin Photodynamic Therapy Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To examine the impact of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) expreion in human choroidal neovacularization (CNV) membrane with regard to vacular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expreion. Deign Interventional cae erie. Method Retropective review of interventional cae erie of 42 patient (42 eye) who underwent removal of CNV. CNV wa econdary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in all cae. Fifteen patient were treated with PDT, 3 to 246 day before urgery. CNV were tained for CD34, CD105, cytokeratin 18, VEGF, and PEDF. Twenty-even CNV without previou treatment were ued a control. Reult pecimen without pretreatment dicloed varying degree of vacularization, VEGF, and PEDF expreion by different cell. pecimen treated by PDT, three day previouly howed motly occluded veel lined with damaged endothelial cell (EC). In contrat, pecimen excied at later time point after PDT were highly vacularized with healthy EC. Thi chronology wa aociated with an impreive VEGF immunoreactivity increaed coniderably in retinal pigment epithelial cell a well a ignificantly reduced PEDF expreion in EC and troma. Concluion PDT induce a elective vacular damage in CNV. The effectivene of PDT, however, eem to be jeopardized by a rebound effect initiated by an enhanced VEGF and reduced PEDF expreion in CNV.