Expression of VEGF in subacromial bursa of patients with rotator cuff tear

    L¨¹ Hongª²Sheng, ZHU Jinª²Yu, ZHU Qingª²Sheng, ZHAO Guangª²Yue, WANG Jun, ZHANG Daª²Wei

    PLA Institute of Orthopaedics, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¬ðan 710033, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To investigate the expression of cytokine, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the subacromial bursa (SAB) with rotator cuff tear. METHODS: For the experimental group, the subacromial bursa was obtained from patients with rotator cuff tear both at the tear site and distal to the tear site during surgery of rotator cuff repair. For the control group, the normal SAB was obtained from patients without rotator cuff tear. The specimens were processed for immunohistochemical analysis of VEGF. The number of the positive expression of VEGF was quantitated in the SAB using a computer image analysis system. RESULTS: The cells and blood vessels increased significantly in the SAB obtained from the both tear site and distal site in the patients with rotator cuff tear, compared with the normal bursa. However, no great infiltration of inflammatory cells was found. For the experimental group, the positive expression of VEGF was much higher than that of the control, and increased in the periphery of blood vessels. With statistics analysis, the expression of VEGF in the SAB of patients, who had had rotator cuff tearing, was significantly higher than that of control (P<0.05), but no significant difference was fond between the tear site and distal site (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: There is inflammation in the SAB of patients with rotator cuff tear. The increase of VEGF is closely related with inflammation and is found both at the tear site and distal site. The reaction of SAB might be secondary to the inflammation and be involved in the rotator cuff tear. ......