Article Text
Abstract
Background Data on serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and drug levels in patients with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) following intravitreal injections of conbercept (IVC) are lacking.
Methods Multicentre, prospective, non-randomised study of patients with aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity (APROP) or type 1 ROP who had not received other treatment. All infants received therapy in both eyes plus intravitreal IVC 0.25 mg/0.025 mL in one eye and had at least 6 months of follow-up. Blood samples were collected before and 1 week and 4 weeks after IVC. The main outcome measures were serum conbercept and VEGF concentrations.
Results Forty infants with APROP or type 1 ROP were enrolled. The mean serum VEGF at baseline and 1 week and 4 weeks after a total of 0.25 mg of IVC was 953.35±311.90 pg/mL, 303.46±181.89 pg/mL and 883.12±303.89 pg/mL, respectively. Serum VEGF 1 week after IVC was significantly lower (p<0.05) than baseline, and at 4 weeks after IVC, it was significantly higher (p<0.05) than at 1 week. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between baseline and 4 weeks. Serum conbercept was below the limit of quantitation (BLOQ) at baseline and 4 weeks and was 19.81±7.60 ng/mL at 1 week.
Conclusion Serum VEGF 1 week after IVC was significantly lower than baseline but returned to baseline at 4 weeks. Serum conbercept increased at 1 week and was BLOQ at 4 weeks.
- drugs
- retina
- treatment medical
Data availability statement
All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as online supplemental information. All data relevant to the study are included in the article.
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Data availability statement
All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as online supplemental information. All data relevant to the study are included in the article.
Footnotes
Contributors JL conceived and designed the study. YC, SS, XD, XZ, DL and XS contributed important intellectual content to the study design and manuscript, and treated study patients. YC, SS and XS coordinated sample collection, contributed to data collection, and contributed to the manuscript. YC, JL and XS designed and validated the analysis methods, performed sample quantitation, analysed data and contributed to manuscript writing.
Funding This work was supported by Beijing Science and technology project (grant no. Z201100005520078) and Beijing Bethune Charitable Foundation (grant no. 2018-Z-08).
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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