Erythropoietin may contribute to the pathogenesis of ROP

Researchers examined the vitreous levels of erythropoietin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with stage 4 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and compared them to a control group of eyes with congenital cataract. The level of erythropoietin was significantly higher in highly and moderately vascular-active ROP eyes than in control eyes, and the VEGF level was significantly higher in moderately vascular-active ROP eyes than control eyes. Lastly, there was a significant positive correlation between the erythropoietin and VEGF levels in the vitreous fluid of moderately and mildly vascular-active ROP eyes.