There were no significant differences between pterygium and control groups in age, sex, and distribution of genotype and allelic frequency of VEGF-460 polymorphism.
The use of single intra lesional injection of Avastin in pterygium decreased vascularity and decreased VEGF expression in injected pterygium after one month.
Antibodies raised against VEGF and p53 were used to analyze the distribution and expression of these markers in pterygium and normal human conjunctiva were used as negative control.
We studied, with immunohistochemistry, the presence and localization of thymine dimers in the epithelial and stromal components of the human primary pterygium and its recurrences with a special emphasis on the vascular network and its interactions with the p53 tumor suppressor gene protein.
Molecular genetic alterations reported in association with pterygium include loss of heterozygosity (LOH), point mutations of proto-oncogenes, such as K-ras and alterations in the expression of tumor suppressor genes, such as p53 or p63.
Our study demonstrated that inactivation of p53 in pterygium may influence miR-200a, resulting in ZEB1/ZEB2 up-regulation and EMT processing of pterygium.
The high expression levels of tumor protein p53 (TP53) observed in laboratory studies of pterygium seem to contradict the fast-growing nature of its clinical behavior, and TP53 mutations have been suggested.
Therefore, BPDE-like DNA adduct, p53 protein expression and p53 gene mutation were examined in this study to provide more molecular evidence to understand the cause of p53 gene mutation in pterygium.
HPV 16/18 E6 contributes to HPV-mediated pterygium pathogenesis as it is partly involved in p53 inactivation and is expressed in HPV DNA-positive pterygium.
We have analyzed the status and expression of the p53 gene in epithelial cells derived from pterygium and have demonstrated that the p53 gene has undergone a monoallelic deletion.
Abnormal p53 expression in the epithelium of primary and recurrent pterygium specimens suggests that pterygium is a growth disorder rather than a degeneration.
Other findings in pterygium include the frequent detection of HPV DNA, ocular surface changes such as the overexpression of various proteins, including defensins and phospolipases D, as well as the up-regulation of growth factors, such as bFGF or VEGF.
In analysis of specimens from pterygium patients as well as normal conjunctivas, VEGF121 and VEGF165 were identified as the only VEGF splice forms expressed.
Tear film levels of interleukin- (IL-) 6, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were investigated over time, and preoperative concentrations were linked to corneal neovascularization and pterygium size.