EXPRESSION OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE GROWTH FACTOR AND ITS POTENTIAL ROLE IN CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION

Abstract

Our findings suggest that transdifferentiated RPE cells and vascular cells possess remarkable CTGF expression in CNVMs. This expression of CTGF may stimulate fibroblasts to produce extracellular matrix and may promote angiogenesis in vascular cells. Colocalized TGF-beta1 and VEGF may also contribute the upregulation of CTGF.