[Immunohistochemical study on vitrectomy specimens of proliferative retinal diseases].

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of cellular proliferation in different retinal diseases.
Methods: Three specific antibodies [to cytokeratin (CK), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and actin, respectively] were used. Vitrectomy specimens from 28 cases with different proliferative retinal diseases were studied immunohistochemically.
Results: In the vitreous with proliferative vetreoretinopathy (PVR), most of the proliferative cells were derived from glial and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. In the vitreous of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), RPE cells might enhance the contraction of proliferative membranes. Increase in actin in firovascular membranes with PDR may play a positive role on the pericytes dropping out from microvessels.
Conclusion: The cell proliferation in the vitreous associated with the increase of levels of growth factors in pathological vitreous, possibly, is one of the mechanisms for the deterioration of proliferative retinal diseases.