RGD Reference Report - Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 in pterygia may have a predictive value for a higher postoperative recurrence rate. - Rat Genome Database

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Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 in pterygia may have a predictive value for a higher postoperative recurrence rate.

Authors: Gumus, K  Karakucuk, S  Mirza, GE  Akgun, H  Arda, H  Oner, AO 
Citation: Gumus K, etal., Br J Ophthalmol. 2013 Feb 1.
RGD ID: 8549754
Pubmed: PMID:23376569   (View Abstract at PubMed)
DOI: DOI:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2012-301944   (Journal Full-text)

BACKGROUND: To investigate the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR-1) and VEGFR-2 in pterygium and to clarify the prognostic significance of these expressions in pterygia. METHODS: A total of 40 surgically excised pterygia and 9 normal conjunctivae were immunohistochemically studied applying the streptavidin-biotin method in paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Monoclonal antibodies were targeted against VEGF, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 proteins. At the sixth postoperative month, the recurrence rate was graded on a scale of 1-4. RESULTS: The mean percentage of VEGF-positive epithelial cells was comparable in pterygium and normal conjunctivae. However, the pterygium group presented higher expression levels of VEGF in pterygia endothelial cells (p=0.05). In terms of VEGFR-1 expression in epithelial cells, no statistically significant difference was found between two groups (p=0.658). However, normal conjunctivae exhibited higher expression levels of VEGFR-1 in endothelial cells (p=0.002). Epithelial cells in pterygium presented higher combined scores of VEGFR-2 (87.5% and 22.2%, respectively) (p=0.013). While higher expression levels of VEGFR-2 were documented in pterygia endothelial cells, no VEGFR-2 immunoreactivity was observed in the endothelial cells of normal conjunctivae (p<0.001). Expression levels of VEGFR-2 in epithelial cells and endothelial cells were positively correlated with the postoperative recurrence grading system (p<0.001 and tau=0.627, p=0.001 and tau=0.508, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that VEGF may play a key role through VEGFR-2 in the pathogenesis of pterygium. Moreover, overexpression of VEGFR-2 in pterygia may have a predictive value for a higher postoperative recurrence rate.

RGD Manual Disease Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
pterygium disease_progressionIEP 8549754protein:increased expression:conjunctiva:RGD 
pterygium disease_progressionISOKDR (Homo sapiens)8549754; 8549754protein:increased expression:conjunctiva:RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Kdr  (kinase insert domain receptor)

Genes (Mus musculus)
Kdr  (kinase insert domain protein receptor)

Genes (Homo sapiens)
KDR  (kinase insert domain receptor)


Additional Information