Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on vision improvement of patients with macular edema (ME) due to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO)
Methods: :
Twenty eyes of 22 patients (mean age, 69.9 years) with ME due to CRVO underwent intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. Central retinal thickness (CRT) was measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) before injection. Aqueous humor was obtained from patients just before intravitreal injection. The VEGF concentration was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Best-corrected visual acuity (BVCA) was measured at baseline, 1 month and 3 months. A multiple linear regression model was constructed with improvement in logMAR BVCA after injection as the dependent variable and with VEGF concentration, CRT, and logMAR BVCA before injection as independent variables.
Results: :
Regression analysis showed that thicker CRT and lower VEGF concentration at baseline were significantly associated with better improvement in logMAR BVCA at 1 month (standardized β= 0.502, -0.484 P=0.011, 0.012, respectively). Only lower VEGF concentration was associated with better improvement in logMAR BVCA at 3 months (standardized β=-0.463 P=0.034). Preoperative logMAR BVCA was not associated with improvement in logMAR BVCA at 1 month nor 3 months (P=0.119, 0.218, respectively)
Conclusions: :
Elevation of aqueous VEGF in patient with CRVO significantly and negatively correlate with poor vision improvement.
Keywords: vascular endothelial growth factor • visual acuity