Re: Kwon et al.: Aqueous levels of angiopoietin-like 4 and semaphorin 3E correlate with nonperfusion area and macular volume in diabetic retinopathy (Ophthalmology 2015;122:968-75)

We read with great interest the recent paper by Kwon et al1 in which the authors examine the aqueous levels of cytokines in patients with diabetic eye disease, including angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4), a protein we and others have identified as an important vascular hyperpermeability factor in cancer.2 We were pleased to see the authors corroborate our recent study in which we first identified ANGPTL4 as an important player in the promotion of macular edema in patients with ischemic retinal disease, including diabetic macular edema.