Anti-VEGF injections decrease aqueous VEGF levels in diabetic retinopathy
DENVER — Intravitreal anti-VEGF injections significantly decrease aqueous VEGF levels in patients with diabetic retinopathy, according to a presenter here.
“VEGF is usually the main target for diabetic retinopathy,” Bharani K. Mynampati, PhD, told Healio/OSN at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting. “The therapeutic approach for diabetic retinopathy is anti-VEGF treatment.”
Mynampati and colleagues measured VEGF levels in 59 eyes of patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) who had sequential anti-VEGF injections of 1.25 mg per 0.05 mL of bevacizumab or 2 mg per 0.05 mL of aflibercept. IOP was balanced via paracentesis at each injection visit. The eyes of patients given injections were compared with a control group of aqueous humor samples from patients undergoing cataract surgery who did not have diabetes.
VEGF levels were determined using a standard MAGPIX analyzer (Luminex). The average VEGF level in the eyes given injections decreased from 198.3 pg/mL at pretreatment baseline to 26.4 pg/mL at the last injection. In the control group, the average VEGF level was 34.06 pg/mL.
Sequential values of VEGF may be correlated with visual acuity or OCT central macular thickness in the future, the authors wrote in the poster presentation, and may potentially serve as a guide for treatment of DR and diabetic macular edema.
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Mynampati BK, et al. Aqueous levels of VEGF decrease after serial intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF agents in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting; May 1-4, 2022; Denver.
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