Expression of VEGF and angiopoietins in subfoveal membranes from patients with age-related macular degeneration

The results indicate that at the time of surgical excision, subfoveal membranes express angiopoietin-1, VEGF, and, to a lesser degree, angiopoietin-2. Because CNV appears to recur less often in membranes expressing high levels of VEGF, we hypothesize that VEGF acts as a stabilizer of neovessels at this stage of the disease.