Cellular components of proliferative vitreoretinal membranes.

Kwak,  Sang In; Chung,  Hum; Lee,  Jaeheung

doi:1991.5.2.68

Korean J Ophthalmol > Volume 5(2); 1991 > Article

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Korean Journal of Ophthalmology 1991;5(2):68-75.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3341/kjo.1991.5.2.68 Published online December 30, 1991.

Cellular components of proliferative vitreoretinal membranes.

Sang In Kwak, Hum Chung, Jaeheung Lee

Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

To understand the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinal membrane formation which occurs in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), etc., accurate identification of the cellular components of the membrane is needed. This study was performed to identify cellular components of the membranes by means of immunohistochemical technique. 11 proliferative vitreoretinal membranes which were surgically obtained from 7 eyes with PVR and 4 eyes with PDR were stained with monoclonal antibodies against cytokeratin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), or vimentin using immunoperoxidase technique (ABC method). In the PVR membranes, mean cell positivities for cytokeratin, GFAP and vimentin were 48%, 1% and 92%, respectively and in the PDR membranes, 0%, 5% and 93%, respectively. The above results suggest that retinal pigment epithelial cells and fibroblasts are major cellular components of PVR membranes, and that mesenchymal cells are major cellular components and glial cells are minor cellular components of PDR membranes.

Key Words: cellular component;immunohistochemical technique;proliferative diabe-tic retinopathy;proliferative vitreoretinopathy