Abstract
Purpose :
Hyperuricemia is associated with diabetic nephropathy, cardiovascular diseases and progression of diabetic retinopathy. The aim of this study was to explore the role of serum uric acid (SUA) in response to intravitreous anti-VEGF treatment in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).
Methods :
A 24-weeks prospective study of DME patients who underwent at least 3 monthly intravitreal injection (IVI) of anti-VEGF was conducted at a medical center. Baseline SUA concentration and parameters such as visual acuity (VA), central foveal thickness (CFT), glycemic control (HbA1c) were collected and analyzed to determine their contribution to the response of anti-VEGF treatment.
Results :
A total of 27, including 12 females and 15 males with age between 50 and 75 years old were enrolled. Ten (37%) of them showed hyperuricemia (SUA > 7.0 mg/dL). No significant difference was observed in VA, CFT, and HbA1c level at baseline and additional laser and/or IVI treatment at the end of study. Patients with hyperuricemia showed better VA improvement (0.55 vs. 0.06 logMAR, p = 0.019) at 12 weeks and thinner CFT (277 vs. 361µM) at 24 weeks than those without hyperuricemia after treatment. Hyperuricemia is an independent factor associated with CFT less than 300µM at 24 weeks (p=0.038; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.82), but not associated with recovery of VA.
Conclusions :
High concentration of SUA is associated with the response of anti-VEGF treatment in patient with DME. These findings provide evidence for studying the role uric acid in retinal VEGF production in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.