title: Vascular endothelial growth factor in fellow eyes of eyes injected with intravitreal bevacizumab.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To study the effect on untreated fellow eyes of eyes treated with an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 ml) was injected into the vitreous cavity of one eye (the first eye) as a preoperative adjunctive therapy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy; vitrectomy was performed 1 week later. Immediately after vitrectomy, bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 ml) was injected into the fellow eye (the second eye) followed by vitrectomy 1 week later. Aqueous humor samples were obtained from both eyes in five cases just before intravitreal injection of bevacizumab and just before vitrectomy 1 week later. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations in the aqueous humor were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  VEGF concentrations in the aqueous humor of the first eyes ranged from 146 to 398 pg/ml (mean, 302+/-100 pg/ml) before intravitreal injection of bevacizumab; 1 week later, the VEGF concentrations in the injected eyes were less than 31 pg/ml, the lower limit of the ELISA, in all cases (p<0.001). The concentrations in the uninjected fellow eyes ranged from 181 to 551 pg/ml (mean, 382+/-119 pg/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There seemed to be no or a minimal effect of the intravitreal injections of bevacizumab on the uninjected fellow eyes.
authors.affiliation: Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta Tukinowacho, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan, osawada@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kakinoki
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab