Immunohistochemical analysis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and p53 expression in pterygium from Tunisian patients.

A pterygium is characterized by abnormal fibrovascular corneoconjunctival tissue. A number of investigations have attempted to elucidate this incompletely understood pathology. Since vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and p53 are known to participate in tumor vascularization, our purpose was to study VEGF and p53 expression in active primary and recurrent pterygium from Tunisian patients. To this end, 15 cases of active primary pterygium and five cases of recurrent pterygium from Tunisia were studied by immunohistochemistry. Antibodies raised against VEGF and p53 were used to analyze the distribution and expression of these markers in pterygium and normal human conjunctiva were used …