title: Changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness and reduction of serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with POEMS syndrome.
abstract: To determine the changes in the subfoveal choroidal thickness (CT), the foveal thickness (FT) and the serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) after thalidomide treatment in patients with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome.
  
  
  
  We studied 13 left eyes of 13 treatment-naïve patients with POEMS syndrome. The subfoveal CT and FT were determined by enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography, and the serum level of VEGF was determined by ELISA at the baseline and at 6 months after thalidomide treatment. The correlations in the serum level of VEGF and the subfoveal CT or the FT at the baseline and at 6 months after treatment were determined.
  
  
  
  Together with the reduction in the serum level of VEGF, the subfoveal CT was also reduced significantly from 439.1±66.5 µm at the baseline to 307.2±75.4 µm at 6 months (p=0.001). The mean FT at the baseline was 236.4±30.7 µm which did not change significantly at 6 months at 228.1±33.1 µm (p>0.05). The change in the subfoveal CT was significantly and linearly correlated with the change in the serum level of VEGF at 6 months after treatment (r=0.67, p=0.011).
  
  
  
  The significant correlation between the CT and the serum level of VEGF may offer clues on the pathogenesis of ocular diseases of POEMS syndrome and on the role of serum VEGF on the choroid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokouchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Sonoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Misawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oshitari
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuwabara
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000473:pathology; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016878:POEMS Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Choroid; Retina; Treatment Medical