Fig. 4

“Angiogenesis” and “immune response”-associated genes expressed in hyalocytes from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients. (A) Readplot of differentially expressed genes (DEG) in diabetic hyalocytes (upregulated genes in red, downregulated genes in green, not differentially expressed genes in grey; factors associated with the Gene Ontology (GO) biological process (BP) “angiogenesis” are highlighted in yellow; the most strongly upregulated “angiogenesis”-related genes are labeled). (B) Readplot of DEG in diabetic hyalocytes (upregulated genes in red, downregulated genes in green, not differentially expressed genes in grey; factors associated with the GO BP “immune response” are highlighted in yellow; the most strongly upregulated “immune response”-related genes are labeled). (C) Left-hand side panels show boxplots for multiplex immunoassay analysis of interleukin (IL)-6, placental growth factor (PlGF), IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and IL-15 protein expression or enzyme-linked immunosorbent analysis (ELISA) of angiopoietin-2 (ANGPT2) protein expression in PDR vitreous and plasma and control (Ctrl) vitreous and plasma samples. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001 (one-way ANOVA and consequent analysis of multiple comparisons conducted for multiplex immunoassay analysis and Mann-Whitney-Test performed for ELISA analysis). Corresponding gene expression analysis for IL6, PlGF, IL8, MCP1 (= CCL2), IL8 (= CXCL8) and ANGPT2 in PDR and control hyalocytes is shown on the right, respectively