AIM:To analysis the relation of severity of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with the levels of amino acids and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in the serum and in subretinal fluid.

METHODS: Forty-eight patients(52 eyes)with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment treated in our hospital were selected. According to the degree of retinal detachment, patients were divided into <1/2 quadrant group, 1/2-3/4 quadrant group and >3/4 quadrant group. Fifty-five healthy objects for physical examination in our hospital were selected as the control group,to compare the differences of amino acids and VEGF levels in the serum. Correlation analysis on VEGF levels and amino acids in the serum and in subretinal fluid among patients with different grades of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was conducted.

RESULTS: In patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, the tryptophan in serum was 28.59±4.46mg/L, phenylalanine 8.95±2.55mg/L, methionine 8.15±2.17mg/L, valine 28.62±5.29mg/L, histidine 18.96±1.85mg/L and VEGF 589.92±185.34μg/L, which were higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). The levels of phenylalanine was 9.85±1.21mg/L, histidine 20.63±2.07mg/L and VEGF 718.69±283.34μg/L in the subretinal fluid of >3/4 quadrant group, which were significantly higher than those in the <1/2 quadrant group and 1/2-3/4 quadrant group(P<0.05). VEGF in the subretinal fluid of VEGF in the rhegmatogenous retinal detachment group were positively correlated with phenylalanine(r=0.542, P<0.001), and histidine(r=0.782, P<0.001).

CONCLUSION: The levels of amino acids and VEGF in the subretinal fluid of patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was higher than those in normals and increased with the severity of retinal detachment.