Correlation of retinal layer changes with vision gain in diabetic macular edema during conbercept treatment.

Abstract

BACKGROUNDS:

To assess the changes in individual retinal layer thickness and visual function associated with gains in visual acuity after an intravitreal conbercept injection in the diabetic macular edema (DME) on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and microperimetry during 1-year follow-up.

METHODS:

Retrospective observational study. Twenty patients with clinically significant DME in the study eye were imaged by SD-OCT every 3 months and MP1 microperimeter in the third month while receiving anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (conbercept) treatment. In each patient, seven retinal layers were segmented in 98 scans covering a 6 mm × 6 mm area of the macula at baseline and during 1 year of treatment. An automatic, full-threshold microperimetry of the central field (10° × 10°, 40 stimulated points) with the MP1 microperimeter. Thickness and microperimetry changes were quantitatively measured and evaluated for their correlation with increases in visual acuity.

RESULTS:

Although thicknesses of the inner nuclear layer (INL) and the outer nuclear layer (ONL) were reduced the most after treatment (p < 0.05), decreases of the ganglion cell layer (GCL) (r = 0.591, p = 0.006) and inner plexiform layer (IPL) (r = 0.663, p = 0.001) in central subfield area was associated with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) gain, and had the best estimation of BCVA gain (adjust R2 = 0.544). Mean macular sensitivity in the central subfield was also well correlated with BCVA gain (r = 0.531, p = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS:

Neural recovery occurred after the resolution of edema during conbercept treatment, due to the decreases in GCL and IPL associating with gains in vision and improved microperimetry.

• Authors: Yupeng Xu, Yuan Qu, Yan Suo, Jian Gao, Xia Chen, Kun Liu, Xun Xu
• Journal: BMC ophthalmology (BMC Ophthalmol) Vol. 19 Issue 1 Pg. 123 (May 31 2019) ISSN: 1471-2415 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 31151389 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study)

Chemical References

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors
• Recombinant Fusion Proteins
• KH902 fusion protein

Topics

• Aged
• Angiogenesis Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Diabetic Retinopathy (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Female
• Humans
• Macula Lutea (physiology)
• Macular Edema (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Recombinant Fusion Proteins (therapeutic use)
• Retina (pathology)
• Retinal Ganglion Cells (pathology)
• Retrospective Studies
• Visual Acuity (physiology)