Abstract
Purpose :
To measure the levels of VEGF in aqueous of patients with exudative macular
degeneration (eAMD) receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF agents and to explore whether this can be used to personalize treatment options for patients.
Methods :
The study was approved by the local University IRB. Aqueous samples were collected at the time of paracentesis following each intravitreal injection of an anti-VEGF agent given serially every 4 – 6 weeks in patients with eAMD. These samples were immediately stored in -800 C freezer. At the time of analysis, aqueous samples were thawed at room temperature and VEGF (pg/ml) levels were measured using human premixed multi-analyte kit and magnetic bead assay on Luminex MAGPIX analyzer (Austin, TX, USA).
Results :
In 139 samples from 31 eyes, the average VEGF level from the first sample measured in each patient was 34.9 pg/ml. This decreased significantly to an average level of 6.8 pg/ml in the last sample measured from each patient after 2 – 10 injections (average 4.5 injections) of an anti-VEGF agent. The change in VEGF levels correlated with the presence of subretinal fluid on OCT.
Conclusions :
Aqueous levels of VEGF can be easily measured at every injection in eAMD patients. Aqueous levels of VEGF were significantly reduced after treatment with anti-VEGF agents. With the ease of obtaining the aqueous sample and measuring the VEGF levels, this parameter maybe a useful parameter in the future, in addition to visual acuity and retinal thickness, to possibly personalize the treatment of eAMD patients.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.