Objective To investigate the correlation between the vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) and exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods A literature research was performed in PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang database from January 2000 to December 2016. Case-control studies on the relationship between VMA or posterior vitreous detachment and exudative AMD were included in this analysis. Literature screening and data extraction were performed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The qualities of the literatures were evaluated according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Seven literatures were selected into meta-analysis. The NOS score was 9 points in 1 article, 8 scores in 4 articles, 7 points in 2 articles. A total of 947 eyes with exudative AMD, 638 eyes with dry AMD, and 618 eyes with controls were included. The correlation between exudative AMD and VMA were analyzed using the software Review manager 5.3. Results The prevalence of VMA in exudative AMD eyes was higher than that in controls [odds ratio (OR)=2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.19 - 3.84, P=0.010] and dry AMD eyes (OR=2.24, 95%CI=1.24 - 4.03, P=0.007). There was no difference in PVD prevalence among exudative AMD eyes, dry AMD eyes (OR=0.44, 95%CI=0.16 - 1.20, P=0.110) and controls (OR=0.70, 95%CI=0.41 - 1.18, P=0.180). Conclusion There is correlation between VMA and exudative AMD.
With the rapid development of fundus imaging technology, it is of great significance to establish a new naming system for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) based on the multi-mode imaging. In 2020, an international panel of retina specialists, imaging and image reading center experts, and ocular pathologists reached a consensus after repeated discussions, a new name for nAMD subtype and related lesions was established based on the previous knowledge of fundus fluorescein angiography and pathology, combining indocyanine green angiography, optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography with current pathological knowledge, in order to help ophthalmologists to study nAMD. The consensus proposed the term "macular neovascularization" and classified it into type 1, type 2 and type 3. Many lesions related to macular neovascularization, such as pigment epithelial detachment, hemorrhage, fibrosis, rip of retinal pigment epithelium and so on, were named. The new designation will help improve clinical communication between different studies, establish standard definitions and terms between reading centers and researchers, and further promote the understanding and communication of nAMD among ophthalmologists.
ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) compared with photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of Chinese patients with predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) lesions secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).MethodsA randomized, double-blind, multi-center phase-3 clinical trial lasting for 52 weeks (from December 2011 to August 2014). Subjects were randomized in a 3:1 ratio to either IAI group or PDT-to-IAI group. Subjects in the IAI group received 2 mg IAI at baseline and at week 4, 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, with sham injection at week 28, 36. Subjects in the PDT-to-IAI group were forced to receive PDT once at baseline and more time at week 12, 24 if PDT retreatment conditions were met. Sham injections were given in PDT-to-IAI group at baseline and at week 4, 8, 16 and 24, followed by 2 mg IAI at week 28, 32, 36, 40, 48. The primary outcome of efficacy were the change in mean Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) from baseline to week 28, and that of week 52. Safety evaluation included the percentage of subjects who suffered treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs).ResultsAmong the 304 subjects enrolled, there were 228 and 76 cases in IAI group and PDT-to-IAI group respectively. At week 28, the changes of mean BCVA in IAI group, PDT-to-IAI group compared to baseline were +14.0, +3.9 letters, respectively. At week 52, the changes of mean BCVA in two groups were +15.2, +8.9 letters respectively with the difference of +6.2 letters (95%CI 2.6−9.9, P=0.000 9). At week 52, the mean foveal retinal thickness in the two groups decreased by −189.6, −170.0 μm, respectively. Subjects with the most BCVA increase in IAI group were those aged ＜65, and those with active CNV lesion area ＜50% of total lesion area. The most common TEAEs in IAI group and PDT-to-IAI group are macular fibrosis [11.8% (27/228), 6.6% (5/76)] and BCVA decline [6.6% (15/228), 21.1% (16/76)]. There were 3 cases of arterial thromboembolic events defined in the antiplatelet experimental collaboration group, but all were considered unrelated to interventions.ConclusionsThe efficacy of aflibercept is superior to that of PDT in nAMD patients in China. The therapeutic effect of aflibercept persisted to week 52 in all subjects. The rate of adverse events was consistent with the safety data of aflibercept known before.
Objective To observe the OCT angiography imaging features of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) with different activity in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods A retrospective case analysis. Forty-two eyes of 33 patients (21 males and 12 females, aged 65.3±8.61 years) who were diagnosed with AMD by multi-mode fundus imaging examination at the Ophthalmology Department of Yunnan Second People's Hospital during January 2017 and October 2018 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent BCVA, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus colorized photography, FAF, FFA and OCT examinations. The patients were divided into active CNV (27 eyes of 19 patients) and inactive CNV (15 eyes of 14 patients) by comprehensive analysis of fundus imaging characteristics and treatment process. The imaging features of OCTA in the two groups were compared. The number of eyes of each active or inactive indicator in the active CNV group and the inactive CNV group was calculated, and the composition ratio of each group of the indicators was subjected to the χ2 test. Results Among the 27 eyes of active CNV, 22 eyes (81.5%) of OCTA showed abundant small capillary branching structure, while 13 eyes (13.3%) of 15 eyes of inactive CNV showed more coarse blood vessel. Among the 27 eyes of active CNV, 26 eyes (96.3%) of OCTA showed that the marginal vascular end points of CNV lesions were "arcaded" or "ring", while 12 eyes (80.0%) of 15 eyes of inactive CNV showed the presence of isolated branches of peripheral vessels. Among the 27 eyes with active CNV lesions, there were no large feeder vessels inside the lesions, and 8 (53.3%) of the 15 inactive CNV lesions showed feeder vessels in the center of the lesion. Among the 27 eyes with active lesions, 23 eyes (85.2%) of OCTA showed a low-reflection "halo" around the CNV lesion, and no low-reflection "halo" structure was observed in the 5 eyes of the inactive CNV lesion. The statistical results showed that there were abundant small blood vessel branches (χ2=22.759, P=0.000), annular anastomosis around the lesion (χ2=31.704, P=0.000), low-reflection halo (χ2=32.327, P=0.000), and large nourishing blood vessels (χ2=26.063, P=0.000), dilated choroidal vessels (χ2=32.912, P=0.000). All the above indicators were statistically different between the two groups. Conclusion The abundant small vessel branches in OCTA, the surrounding anastomosis in a ring structure and the low reflex halo around the lesion are markers of active CNV, while the large feeding vessels and dilated choroidal vessels are indicators of inactive CNV.
Epigenetics has been very hot in the research of biomedicine. In addition to genetic factors, the occurrence of a disease is also influenced by environmental factors. Retinal vascular diseases are a type of irreversible blind eye disease, such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. The retinal vessel changes are the major features of retinal vascular diseases, which are the result of interaction of multiple environmental factors and genes. Epigenetic modification mainly includes DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA regulation. Epigenetic mechanisms mediate the effects of environmental factors on genes related to retinal vascular diseases, and affect the eventual development of the diseases. Therefore, ophthalmologists should keep eyes close on the role of epigenetics in retinal vascular diseases, track the progress of epigenetic methods in the treatment of retinal vascular diseases, and pay attention to the application prospects of epigenetics. Finding the epigenetic regulators of these diseases can not only deepen the understanding of the pathological mechanism of these diseases, but also provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.
ObjectiveTo observe the effects of repeated intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs on vitreous macular interface (VMI) in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).MethodsRetrospective study. Thirty-four exudative AMD patients who treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF drugs were included in this study. There were 26 males and 8 females. The age ranged from 50 to 80 years, with the average of (62.8±8.35) years. The eyes with at least 6 treatments during the 1-year follow-up were taken as the study eyes, and the eyes with no anti-VEGF drug treatment were the control eyes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination was used to observe the VMI status of both eyes before treatment. Vitreous macular adhesion (VMA), macular epiretinal membrane (MEM), and complete vitreous detachment (C-PVD) were defined as abnormalities in VMI. The VMA was classified as focal (≤1500 μm) and broad (＞1500 μm) depending on the diameter of the vitreous and macular adhesions on the OCT images. Before treatment, there were 12 eyes with abnormal VMI in study eyes, including 8 eyes with broad VMA, 3 eyes with focal VMA, and 1 eye with MEM; 12 eyes with abnormal VMI in control eyes: broad VMA in 7 eyes, focal VMA in 2 eyes, C-PVD in 2 eyes, and MEM in 1 eye. The average follow-up time after treatment was 16.4 months. During the follow-up period, OCT was performed monthly in a follow-up mode. Comparing the changes on VMI between before and after treatment in both eyes of patients, respectively. The chi-square test was used to compare the difference on VMI. Because the number of samples was ＜40, Fisher's exact test was used for the analysis.ResultsAt the final follow-up, 12 eyes with abnormal VMI in the study eyes, including 5 eyes with broad VMA, 2 eyes with focal VMA, 3 eyes with C-PVD, and 2 eyes with MEM. There were 6 eyes altered comparing with baseline. In the control eyes, there were 13 eyes with abnormal VMI, including 5 eyes with broad VMA, 7 eyes with C-PVD, and 1 eye with MEM. A total of 6 eyes changed on VMI comparing with baseline. At the final follow-up, there was no significant difference on VMI changes between the study eyes and its corresponding control eyes (P=0.053). In all eyes, a total of 4 eyes changed from focal VMA to C-PVD at the final follow-up, accounting for 80.0% of the total focal VMA; 3 eyes changed from broad VMA to C-PVD, accounting for 21.4% of the total broad VMA.ConclusionsRepeated anti-VEGF treatment has little effect on VMI. Regardless of anti-VEGF therapy, eyes with focal VMA appears to be more prone to C-PVD than the broad one.
Wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) is caused by choroidal neovascularization (CNV), which occurs when the choroidal new capillaries reach the RPE layer and photoreceptor cell layer through the ruptured Bruch membrane, leading to neovascularization bleeding, leakage, and scarring. In view of the important role of VEGF in the development of CNV, targeted therapy with various intraocular anti-VEGF drugs is the first-line treatment for wAMD. However, the efficacy of anti-VEGF drugs in the treatment of wAMD is affected by a variety of factors, and some patients still have problems such as unresponsiveness, drug resistence, tachyphylaxis, long-term repeated injections, and severe adverse effects. It is the direction of future researches to deeply explore the physiological and pathological process of wAMD, find the cause of CNV formation, and seek better therapies.
ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of intravitreal injection of conbercept (IVC) in the treatment of type 1 macular neovascularization (MNV) with different types of pigment epithelial detachment (PED) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). MethodsA retrospective clinical study. From June 2018 to June 2021, 42 patients with 42 eyes of nAMD type 1 MNV patients with different types of PED diagnosed in the ophthalmological examination of the Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital of Central Theater Command were included in the study. All eyes underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The OCT examination was performed with a 3D-OCT 2000 instrument from Topcon Company in Japan. The fovea was scanned, and the PED height (PEDH), PED area (PEDA), PED volume (PEDV), and central foveal thickness (CFT) were measured. According to the OCT image features of PED, the affected eyes were divided into serous PED (sPED), fibrovascular PED (fPED), and hemorrhagic PED (hPED), and were grouped accordingly. Among the 42 eyes, 16 (38.1%, 16/42), 14 (33.3%, 14/42), and 12 (28.6%, 12/42) eyes were in the sPED group, fPED group, and hPED group, respectively. All patients received IVC treatment once a month for 3 consecutive months, and then on-demand treatment after assessment. BCVA and OCT were re-examined 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment, and the changes of BCVA, PEDH, PEDA, PEDV, and CFT in the affected eyes before and after treatment were compared, and repeated measures analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis. ResultsAt 12 months after treatment, the PEDH, PEDA and PEDV of the affected eyes in the sPED group, fPED group and hPED group were significantly lower than those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The difference in the degree of improvement was －318.67±258.09 μm, －6.50±6.33 μm2, －1.95±1.78 μm3 in the hPED group; －119.31±224.13 μm, －0.86 ±5.00 μm2, －0.56±1.64 μm3 in the sPED group; fPED group were －53.93±92.51 μm, －0.76±2.54 μm2, －0.19±0.46 μm3. The improvement degree of the affected eyes in hPED group was significantly greater than that in sPED group and fPED group, and the difference was statistically significant (F=5.918, 6.029, 5.494; P＜0.05). Compared with the BCVA and CFT before treatment, 12 months after treatment, the difference was statistically significant in the fPED group and the hPED group (P＜0.05); there was no significant improvement in the sPED group (P＞0.05). There was no significant difference in the BCVA of the affected eyes in the three groups compared with those before treatment (F=0.817, 0.741, 0.848; P＞0.05). ConclusionConbercept can effectively improve or stabilize the visual function and anatomical morphology of eyes with type 1 MNV in nAMD with sPED, fPED and hPED, among which the anatomical effect is better for hPED.
Choroidal neovascularization is the leading causes of central vision loss in wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) patients. Smoking not only aggravates the incidence and severity of the choroidal neovascularization of wAMD, but also affects the clinical treatment, making the prognosis worse. Nicotine, as an important harmful substance in tobacco, is an easily addictive and highly toxic alkaloid. Animal experiments and clinical studies have confirmed that nicotine can aggravate wAMD by mediating angiogenesis through nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, bone marrow blasts, inflammation, complement system, etc. Therefore, in order to early take appropriate intervention measures to prevent and delay the development, we should actively explore the exact pathogenesis by which nicotine aggravates the choroidal neovascularization.
Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is the key characteristic of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), and the effective therapy is intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents based on clinical and basic research. In the meantime the challenge is how to further improve the inhibiting effect for CNV and visual function of anti-VEGF treatment on nAMD. The new strategy and drug delivery devices for anti-VEGF treatment will optimize the clinical scheme. From bench to bedside, the research on targeted treatment of angiogenesis brings the bloom of nAMD medical therapy.