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Functional Characteristics of Connective Tissue Growth Factor on Vitreoretinal Cells

¹Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

Correspondence: hatachan{at}med.kyushu-u.ac.jp

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) level is elevated in eyes with proliferative vitreoretinal diseases such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and proliferative vitreo-retinopathy (PVR) as we previously reported, but its functional characteristics on vitreoretinal cells is yet to be clarified. In this study, we demonstrated a growth promoting effect of CTGF on cultured hyalocytes and retinal pigment epithelial cells (BRPEs) with the induction of p44/p42 MAPK phosphorylation and [³H]-thymidine incorporation. CTGF also stimulated the synthesis of fibronectin by hyalocytes and BRPEs without significant effect on collagen gel contraction by these cells. On the other hand, CTGF had no direct effects on the proliferation, migration or in vitro tube formation by vascular endothelial cells. Nevertheless, CTGF promoted vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression by hyalocytes and BRPEs. While the concentrations of both CTGF and VEGF in the human vitreous samples with proliferative vitreoretinal diseases were elevated, there was no significant correlation between these concentrations. These findings indicate that CTGF appears to be involved in the formation of proliferative membranes without direct regulation of their cicatricial contraction in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinal diseases. Whereas CTGF might have no direct effects, or minimal if any, on retinal neovascularization, it is possible that CTGF has indirect effects by modulating the expression of VEGF.

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