Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor Affects Angiogenesis in Celiac Disease

Objective: Recent studies have demonstrated that angiogenesis is impaired in patients with celiac disease (CD). In this study, we evaluated the levels of the novel antiangiogenic factor pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in CD patients. Methods: Eighty-four patients were included in the study; 71 patients with CD and 13 healthy controls. In the CD patient cohort, there were 21 newly diagnosed patients, 19 with adherence to a gluten-free diet and 31 practicing no adherence to this diet. The PEDF levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: The data revealed that celiac patients had higher levels of PEDF than did healthy controls. PEDF levels were not significantly different among the three CD groups. Additionally, the PEDF levels were not correlated with tissue transglutaminase IgA or IgG. Conclusions: Our data indicate that PEDF levels are significantly higher in CD patients than those in the healthy controls. This result suggests that PEDF negatively affects angiogenesis in CD. Although we did not observe any differences of PEDF levels among celiac patients, additional studies including more patients could clarify this issue.