We found that after exposure to VEGF, mRNA and protein levels of LDLr were both increased significantly in PSFs, assessed using relative quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blot.
This study indicates that pterygium and pinguecula have an altered metabolism of cholesterol-namely increased LDL-R and HMG-CoA-R mRNAs-as is characteristic of tumorlike tissues, and that the high expression of LDL receptors renders them amenable to be treated by photodynamic therapy with intravenously injected verteporfin.