Concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor in aqueous humor of eyes with advanced retinopathy of prematurity before and after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab alters the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the aqueous humor of eyes with retinopathy of prematurity.


METHODS
Seven Stage 4 and three Stage 5 eyes of eight patients with retinopathy of prematurity were studied. Bevacizumab (0.75 mg/0.03 mL/eye) was injected intravitreally in six eyes of six patients after approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of Nagoya University Hospital and an informed consent was signed by the parents. Aqueous humor was collected just before the surgery or before the intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. Aqueous humor was also collected immediately before vitrectomy 4 to 48 days after the injection of bevacizumab. Aqueous humor was also collected from four patients undergoing congenital cataract surgery as controls. The concentration of VEGF was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
In the 4 control eyes, the concentration of VEGF in 2 eyes was 156 and 158 pg/mL and was not detectable in the other 2 eyes. The average concentration of VEGF was 1,109 pg/mL in the active Stage 4 eyes and 3,520 pg/mL in the active Stage 5 eyes. After bevacizumab injection, the unbound VEGF concentration was 60, 230, and 290 pg/mL in 3 eyes and not detectable in 1 eye.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravitreal bevacizumab resulted in a marked decrease in the unbound VEGF concentration in eyes with retinopathy of prematurity.
Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan.
Norie Ito
NI
Nonobe
Shu
S
Kachi
Mineo
M
Kondo
Yoshiko
Y
Takai
Koji
K
Takemoto
Atsushi
A
Nakayama
Masahiro
M
Hayakawa
Hiroko
H
Terasaki
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007267:Injections; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014822:Vitreous Body
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab