Purpose: To determine the level of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the aqueous humor of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
Methods: This was a prospective, comparative control study. Aqueous humor samples were collected from the eyes of 15 RP patients. The level of HGF was determined with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay kit. The control group was composed of aqueous samples from 15 patients about to undergo cataract surgery with no other ocular or systemic diseases.
Results: The concentration of HGF was markedly higher in the aqueous humor of the patients with RP than in that of the control subjects (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.001). The level of HGF was 958.75 +/- 271.52 (mean +/- SD) pg/mL in the eyes of the RP patients and 403.52 +/- 116.27 pg/mL in eyes of the control group.
Conclusions: The concentration of HGF in aqueous humor is higher among patients with RP than in non-RP subjects. This finding provides new evidence that should be taken in account when considering HGF as a neuroprotective treatment for patients with RP.