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Esther J. Kuiper, MD; Marc D. de Smet, MD, CM, PhD; Jan C. van Meurs, MD, PhD; H. Stevie Tan, MD, PhD; Michael W. T. Tanck, PhD; Noelynn Oliver, PhD; Frans A. van Nieuwenhoven, PhD; Roel Goldschmeding, MD, PhD; Reinier O. Schlingemann, MD, PhD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2006;124:1457-1462.

Objective  To investigate the expression of the profibrotic connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in relation to severity of intraocular fibrosis and neovascularization in human vitreoretinal disorders for the identification of potential therapeutic targets to prevent fibrosis.

Methods  Concentrations of CTGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 119 vitreous samples from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, epiretinal membrane, and macular hole. Clinical data, including degree of intraocular fibrosis and neovascularization, were collected using standardized forms.

Results  Multifactorial analysis revealed that only CTGF levels correlated highly significantly with degree of fibrosis in the various vitreoretinal disorders studied (P<.001; R² = 47.7%). Likewise, variation in degree of fibrosis was best predicted by CTGF levels (P<.001).

Conclusion  The strong correlation between CTGF levels and degree of fibrosis in vitreoretinal disorders suggests that CTGF is an important factor in ocular fibrosis, similar to its role in pathologic fibrosis in other organs.

Clinical Relevance  Connective tissue growth factor may be a therapeutic target for prevention of sight-threatening vitreoretinal scarring in the eye.

Author Affiliations: Ocular Angiogenesis Group, Department of Ophthalmology (Drs Kuiper, de Smet, Tan, and Schlingemann), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Dr Tanck), Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Ophthalmology, Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Dr van Meurs); Fibrogen Inc, San Francisco, Calif (Dr Oliver); and Department of Pathology, Academic Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands (Drs van Nieuwenhoven and Goldschmeding).

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