PURPOSE In proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and other angiogenesis-associated diseases, increased levels of cytokines, inflammatory cells, growth factors, and angiogenic factors are present. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) appears to play a central role in mediating microvascular pathology in PDR. The purpose of the present study was to search for the association between the -...

Objective: to compare level of the main cytokines induced by ischemia (vascular endothelial growth factor and erythropoietin) in patients with first grade arterial hypertension with and without obesity and in normotesive persons. Methods. 79 patients with first grade arterial hypertension (50 with accompany obesity) were examined. 54 individuals with optimal or normal blood pressure were includ...