[Role of vascular endothelial growth factor in the development of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus].

The influence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on the course of diabetic retinopathy (DR) was studied in 35 patients, including 11 males and 24 females, aged 21 to 56 years (mean 37 +/- 2.6 years) who had type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) whose history was 14 to 40 years (mean 21.4 +/- 2.