{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T15:02:44Z","timestamp":1768316564132,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,8,9]],"date-time":"2017-08-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1502236800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medical Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B) is one of the enigmatic members of the VEGF family. The knowledge gap about VEGF-B expression and how its levels are altered in diabetic eyes were the focus of this investigation that was addressed by comparing and correlating vitreous VEGF-B between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. VEGF-B levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in vitreous samples (n = 33) from diabetic (n = 25) and non-diabetic (n = 8) patients. Results were compared between groups. Optical coherence tomography from diabetic patients was evaluated for central retinal thickness (CRT) and macular volume (MV). Mean vitreous VEGF-B concentration was higher in diabetic (18.82 \u00b1 1.44 pg\/mL ) vs. non-diabetic patients (17.90 \u00b1 0.32 pg\/mL) (p = 0.006), and in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) (19.03 \u00b1 1.52 pg\/mL) vs. non-PDR (NPDR) patients (18.18 \u00b10.96 pg\/mL) (p = 0.025). In diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients, correlation between VEGF-B and CRT (\u03bcm) was positive and moderate: rs = 0.441 (p \u2264 0.05) and the correlation between VEGF-B and MV (mm3) was positive and robust: rs = 0.716 (p \u2264 0.01). VEGF-B levels are overexpressed in vitreous of diabetic patients, and the levels are higher in developed stages of DR. Correlation results show that CRT and MV increase with increased levels of VEGF-B. Targeting VEGF-B inhibition may have therapeutic beneficial implications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medsci5030017","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,8,9]],"date-time":"2017-08-09T10:54:56Z","timestamp":1502276096000},"page":"17","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["VEGF-B Levels in the Vitreous of Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients with Ocular Diseases and Its Correlation with Structural Parameters"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"Joana","family":"Mesquita","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI-Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Castro de Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar de Leiria, 2410-197 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6125-5486","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Vaz-Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital de Santa Maria, 1649 \u2013 035 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649 \u2013 035 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Arminda","family":"Neves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar de Leiria, 2410-197 Leiria, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Paulo","family":"Tavares-Ratado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4041-1504","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"F\u00e1tima","family":"M. Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI-Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6910-7576","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lu\u00eds","family":"A. Passarinha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI-Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0927-2331","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"C\u00e2ndida","family":"T. Tomaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI-Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,8,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"515","DOI":"10.1007\/s11030-006-9027-3","article-title":"Molecular and functional diversity of vascular endothelial growth factors","volume":"10","author":"Yamazaki","year":"2006","journal-title":"Mol. Divers."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1480","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM199412013312203","article-title":"Vascular endothelial growth factor in ocular fluid of patients with diabetic retinopathy and other retinal disorders","volume":"331","author":"Aiello","year":"1994","journal-title":"N. Engl. J. 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