Relationship between angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in recurrent pterygium.

2012

Qi CX, Zhang XD, Yuan J, Yang JZ, Sun Y, Wang T, Ye H, Ling SQ.

Source

Department of Ophthalmology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China.

Abstract

AIM:

To examine the relationship between angiogenesis and lymphangigenesis in recurrent pterygia.

METHODS:

Tissues from 34 excised recurrent pterygia (including 12 Grade 1, 10 Grade 2, and 12 Grade 3) were involved in the study and tissues from 7 nasal epibulbar conjunctivae segments were used as controls. Sections from each pterygium were immunostained with CD(31) and LYVE-1 monoclonal antibodies to evaluate lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) and blood microvessel density (BMVD), and the relationship between LMVD and BMVD in the pterygium was examined.

RESULTS:

There was a large number of CD(31) ((+))LYVE-1((-)) blood vessels but only a few CD(31) ((+))LYVE-1((+))lymphatic vessels in grades 1 and 2 pterygium. However, lymphatic vessels were dramatically increased in grade 3 pterygium. LMVD correlated closely with BMVD in all pterygia, including grades 1, 2 and 3 peterygium patients . Although both the density of blood and lymphatic vessels increased in recurrent pterygia, lymphatic vessels developed much faster than blood vessels, especially in grade 3 pterygia.

CONCLUSION:

 There is a significant but not parallel relationship between angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in recurrent pterygium. The outgrowth of blood and lymphatic vessels provide evidence that immunological mechanism may play a role in the development and recurrence of pterygium.

NIH-International Journal of Opthalmology

A Case of Hepatopulmonary Syndrome Solved by Mycophenolate Mofetil (An Inhibitor Of Angiogenesis and Nitric Oxid Production).

Oct 2012

Silva HM, Reis G, Guedes M, Cleto E, Vizcaíno JR, Kelly D, Gennery AR, Silva ES.

Source

Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Child and Adolescent, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Portugal.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a rare, multi-systemic disease, caused by an inherited defect in the Fas apoptotic pathway, characterized by a chronic non-malignant lymphoid accumulation, andautoimmune manifestations. Lung, kidney, liver, and gut infiltration is described in severe, multi-systemic cases; so far there is no description of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), for which orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is currently the only known effective treatment.

CASE REPORT:

 A Teenage boy, diagnosed with ALPS at 4 years old (lymph nodes enlargement, splenomegaly, immune cytopenias), was stable until 13 years old when he developed insidiously hypoxemia (PaO2 = 46.7 mmHg). He was diagnosed with HPS on the basis of hypoxemia, non-cirrhotic liver disease with portal hypertension, and pulmonary vascular dilatation (intra-pulmonary shunt = 45%). He was treated with oxygen (maximum 6 liters/minute), prednisolone and sirolimus. There was significant regression of all manifestations of ALPS, except the pulmonary symptoms, so, after evaluation in referral centers in England, OLT was proposed. Since he was to be submitted to major surgery, sirolimus, which has wound healing problems, was switched for mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Following this change, we observed an enormous improvement of the pulmonary symptoms and reduction of oxygen needs. The intra-pulmonary shunt decreased from 45% to 0% in less than a year, and remains so until today (18 months after complete normalization), on continued treatment with MMF. Indication for OLT was suspended. In the last year lymphoid proliferation increased again, with huge splenomegaly, but no recurrence of HPS. The addition of sirolimus to MMF produced again a rapid resolution of lymphoid proliferation.

CONCLUSION:

The dramatic and unexpected regression of HPS may have been due to inhibition of angiogenesis and nitric oxide (NO) production by MMF (both important pathways/mediators in the HPS pathogenesis). Therefore, we propose the conduct of clinical trials with MMF, and/or other angiogenesis and NO inhibitors, in a long-term treatment basis, to confirm their potential as a valid alternative for medical treatment of HPS.

Elsevier

Corneal angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.

Oct 2012

Regenfu B, Bock F, Cursiefen C.

Source

Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW:

The purpose of the present review is to describe new antilymphangiogenic treatment strategies and recent findings on strain-dependency of corneal lymphangiogenesis and the interdependency between blood and lymphatic vessel growth.

RECENT FINDINGS:

Studies on mice have revealed that apart from haemangiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis can also differ markedly between several mouse strains under normal and inflammatory conditions. Although haemangiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are closely interconnected in their spatial-temporal patterning, recent data suggest that they can also occur independently.

SUMMARY:

Understanding the coordinated regulation of blood and lymphatic vessel growth and genetic factors determining lymphangiogenesis in more detail could improve the development of specifically targeted antihaemangiogenic or antilymphangiogenic strategies.

Lippincott, Wilkins & Williams