Elevated Levels of Endoglin, Endostatin, FGF-α, HGF, and Thrombospondin-2 in Aqueous Humor of nAMD Patients

ABSTRACT

Purpose

to explore the aqueous cytokine profiles in nAMD patients before and after conbercept therapy.

Methods

aqueous levels of 17 cytokines were detected in 20 treatment-naïve nAMD eyes and 20 age- and sex-matched age-related cataract (ARC) eyes. All of the nAMD patients received three intravitreal injections of conbercept. The central macular thickness (CMT) and maximum retinal thickness-3 mm (MRT-3 mm) were measured by SD-OCT. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FA) was used to measure the greatest linear diameter (GLD).

Results

Aqueous endoglin, endostatin, FGF-α, HGF, and thrombospondin-2 levels were significantly higher in the nAMD group than those in the ARC group, whether before or after two conbercept injections. In the nAMD group, baseline thrombospondin-2 was positively correlated with GLD. Baseline FGF-α, thrombospondin-2, and VEGF-A were positively correlated with MRT-3 mm. After two conbercept injections, endostatin levels were positively correlated with VEGF-A.

Conclusions

Endoglin, endostatin, FGF-α, HGF, and thrombospondin-2 may participate in the pathogenesis of nAMD.

KEYWORDS:

• Neovascular age-related macular degeneration
• aqueous humor
• cytokines
• inflammation
• conbercept
• anti-VEGF

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant no. 81571819, 81700816], and the Major Science and Technology Projects of Zhejiang Province Key Research and Development Program [grant no. 2017C03046].