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Ali Ali MA, Hegazy HS, Abdelkhalek Elsayed MO, Tharwat E, Mansour MN, Hassanein M, Ezzeldin ER, GadElkareem AM, Abd Ellateef EM, Elsayed AA, Elabd IH, Abd Rbu MH, Amer RS, Gabbar AGAE, Mahmoud H, Abdelhameed HM, Abdelkader AME. Aflibercept or ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema. MEDICAL HYPOTHESIS, DISCOVERY & INNOVATION OPHTHALMOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 13:16-26. [PMID: 38978826 PMCID: PMC11227664 DOI: 10.51329/mehdiophthal1490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Background Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the primary substance involved in retinal barrier breach. VEGF overexpression may cause diabetic macular edema (DME). Laser photocoagulation of the macula is the standard treatment for DME; however, recently, intravitreal anti-VEGF injections have surpassed laser treatment. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal injections of aflibercept or ranibizumab for managing treatment-naive DME. Methods This single-center, retrospective, interventional, comparative study included eyes with visual impairment due to treatment-naive DME that underwent intravitreal injection of either aflibercept 2 mg/0.05 mL or ranibizumab 0.5 mg/0.05 mL at Al-Azhar University Hospitals, Egypt between March 2023 and January 2024. Demographic data and full ophthalmological examination results at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months post-injection were collected, including the best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA) in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) notation, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, dilated fundoscopy, and central subfield thickness (CST) measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Results Overall, the 96 eyes of 96 patients with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 57 (10) (range: 20-74) years and a male-to-female ratio of 1:2.7 were allocated to one of two groups with comparable age, sex, diabetes mellitus duration, and presence of other comorbidities (all P >0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in baseline diabetic retinopathy status or DME type between groups (both P >0.05). In both groups, the median (IQR) BCDVA significantly improved from 0.7 (0.8) logMAR at baseline to 0.4 (0.1) logMAR at 6 months post-injection (both P = 0.001), with no statistically significant difference between groups at all follow-up visits (all P >0.05). The median (IQR) CST significantly decreased in the aflibercept group from 347 (166) µm at baseline to 180 (233) µm at 6 months post-injection, and it decreased in the ranibizumab group from 360 (180) µm at baseline to 190 (224) µm at 6 months post-injection (both P = 0.001), with no statistically significant differences between groups at all follow-up visits (all P >0.05). No serious adverse effects were documented in either group. Conclusions Ranibizumab and aflibercept were equally effective in achieving the desired anatomical and functional results in patients with treatment-naïve DME in short-term follow-up without significant differences in injection counts between both drugs. Larger prospective, randomized, double-blinded trials with longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm our preliminary results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanan Saied Hegazy
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Ehab Tharwat
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Damietta, Egypt
| | - Mona Nabeh Mansour
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Hassanein
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | | | - Ahmed A. Elsayed
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim Hassan Elabd
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud H Abd Rbu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ramy Saleh Amer
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Damietta, Egypt
| | | | - Hatem Mahmoud
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
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Ataş M, Ozsaygılı C, Bayram N, Unal S. Retrospective analysis of the efficacy of early switching from bevacizumab to aflibercept or ranibizumab in diabetic macular edema. Eur J Ophthalmol 2022; 33:11206721221137164. [PMID: 36330651 DOI: 10.1177/11206721221137164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The study aimed to compare the anatomical and functional gains of switching to ranibizumab or aflibercept in eyes with treatment-naive diabetic macular edema (DME) which has an inadequate response to three consecutive bevacizumab injections. METHODS This observational, retrospective, comparative study presented 12-month results of 80 patients with DME. One eye of each patient was enrolled, and bevacizumab was switched as aflibercept (40 eyes) or ranibizumab (40 eyes). DME was diagnosed based on a fundoscopic examination, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), central macular thickness (CMT), and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS Forty-one patients (51.2%) were male, and 39 (48.8%) were female, with a mean age of 62.3 ± 6.7 years. At the end of the study, the mean number of intravitreal injections was 8.1 ± 1.8 in the aflibercept group, whereas 8.9 ± 1.4 in the ranibizumab (p = 0.091). The mean CMT decreased from 449.2 ± 69.3 µm to 311.0 ± 48.9 µm in the aflibercept group, and from 444.9 ± 109.2 µm to 316.3 ± 54.5 µm in the ranibizumab group (for both, p < 0.0001). The mean BVCA increased from 49.2 ± 11.1 ETDRS letters to 62.5 ± 9.9 in the aflibercept group (p < 0.0001) and from 49.9 ± 12.0 ETDRS letters to 61.1 ± 9.1 in the ranibizumab group (p < 0.0001). Macular laser treatment was required in 17.5% of the aflibercept group and 22.5% of the ranibizumab group (p = 0.781). CONCLUSION Significant improvement was observed with ranibizumab and aflibercept treatments in initial bevacizumab-resistant DME. Early switching therapy may contribute to better visual and anatomical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Ataş
- Department of Ophthalmology, 147026Kayseri City Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Science, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Cemal Ozsaygılı
- Department of Ophthalmology, 147026Kayseri City Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Science, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Nurettin Bayram
- Department of Ophthalmology, 147026Kayseri City Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Science, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Sefa Unal
- Department of Ophthalmology, 147026Kayseri City Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Science, Kayseri, Turkey
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Ebrahimi M, Balibegloo M, Rezaei N. Monoclonal antibodies in diabetic retinopathy. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2022; 18:163-178. [PMID: 35105268 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2022.2037420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diabetic retinopathy (DR), as one of the main complications of diabetes, is among the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment worldwide. AREAS COVERED Current clinical therapies include photocoagulation, vitrectomy, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies. Bevacizumab and ranibizumab are two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) inhibiting angiogenesis. Intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab can decrease the rate of blindness and retinal thickness, and improve visual acuity whether as monotherapy or combined with other treatments. They can increase the efficacy of other treatments and decrease their adverse events. Although administered intravitreally, they also might enter the circulation and cause systemic effects. This study is aimed to review our current knowledge about mAbs, bevacizumab and ranibizumab, in DR including superiorities, challenges, and limitations. Meanwhile, we tried to shed light on new ideas to overcome these limitations. Our latest search was done in April 2021 mainly through PubMed and Google Scholar. Relevant clinical studies were imported. EXPERT OPINION Future direction includes detection of more therapeutic targets considering other components of DR pathophysiology and shared pathogenesis of DR and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, the treat-and-extend regimen, and new ways of drug delivery and other routes of ocular drug administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moein Ebrahimi
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA),Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Balibegloo
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA),Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA),Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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