Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate serum and aqueous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after bimonthly intravitreal injection of aflibercept.
Methods:
Aflibercept (2.0 mg/0.05 ml) was injected bimonthly to 12 eyes of 12 patients with AMD. All patients did not receive any previous treatment for AMD. Serum samples were obtained from the patients just before injection and 1 week, 1 month and 2 months after the initial injection and aqueous humor samples were obtained before and 2 months after the initial injection. The VEGF concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The lower limit of detection was 9.0 pg/ml.
Results:
Serum VEGF concentration was 29.6 ± 11.9 pg/ml (mean ± SD) before the initial injection and decreased under the lower limit of detection 1 week after the injection in all cases. Serum VEGF concentration increased to 15.9 ± 10.5 pg/ml (mean ± SD) at month 1 and almost returned to baseline level at month 2 (26.0 ± 17.9 pg/ml). Aqueous VEGF concentration was 96.0 ± 41.7 pg/ml (mean ± SD) at baseline and decreased under lower limit of detection in all eyes 2 months after the initial injection.
Conclusions:
Intravitreal injection of aflibercept decreased serum VEGF at 1 week while it can suppress aqueous VEGF for up to 2 months.
Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration •
748 vascular endothelial growth factor