Evaluation of anterior chamber inflammatory activity in eyes treated with intravitreal bevacizumab.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab on anterior chamber inflammatory activity.


METHODS
Sixty-one consecutive patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration were examined before, 1 day, and 1 week after intravitreal administration of 1 mg of bevacizumab (0.04 mL) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The intravitreal injection was performed under sterile conditions. Twenty-one fellow eyes served as controls. The anterior chamber inflammatory activity was evaluated using biomicroscopy and the laser flare meter (Kowa FM-500, Kowa Company, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan).


RESULTS
None of the 61 consecutive patients had a significant, clinically detectable inflammatory response within 1 week of follow-up. Anterior chamber inflammatory activity measured by the laser flare meter ranged from 1.9 counts/ms to 70.0 counts/ms (mean +/- SD, 13.2 +/- 16.9 counts/ms; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.8-18.6) before treatment. One day and 1 week after injection, values were between 3.2 counts/ms and 30.0 counts/ms (mean +/- SD, 9.1 +/- 6.2 counts/ms; 95% CI, 7.2-11.1) and 2.0 counts/ms and 25.1 counts/ms (mean +/- SD, 7.3 +/- 4.6 counts/ms; 95% CI, 5.8-8.8), respectively. There was a significant reduction of anterior chamber flare at 1 week compared with baseline (P = 0.031). The control eyes had constantly low flare measures.


CONCLUSIONS
No inflammatory response was detected clinically and by the laser flare meter after intravitreal bevacizumab administration. The slight reduction in anterior chamber flare could be due to the known antiinflammatory effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.
Kiss
Christopher
C
Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Michels
Stephan
S
Prager
Franz
F
Weigert
Günther
G
Geitzenauer
Wolfgang
W
Schmidt-Erfurth
Ursula
U
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002452:Cell Count; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007267:Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008853:Microscopy; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000175:diagnosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000276:immunology*
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab