Bevacizumab in Wet AMD treatment: A tribute to the thirteen years of experience from the beginning of the anti‑VEGF era in Romania

Stanca,Horia T.; Stanca,Simona; Tabacaru,Bogdana; Boruga,Madalina; Balta,Florian

doi:10.3892/etm.2019.7858

Bevacizumab in Wet AMD treatment: A tribute to the thirteen years of experience from the beginning of the anti‑VEGF era in Romania

Authors:
- Horia T. Stanca
- Simona Stanca
- Bogdana Tabacaru
- Madalina Boruga
- Florian Balta
View Affiliations

Affiliations: Department of Ophthalmology, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania, Department of Pediatrics, ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania, Department of Pharmacy, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Published online on: August 6, 2019 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.7858
Pages: 4993-5000
Copyright: © Stanca et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )

Metrics: Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )

Cited By (CrossRef): 0 citations Loading Articles...

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and describe anatomical and functional changes on short (1‑3 months) and medium (6‑12 months) term after intravitreal injections of bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) in patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the context of exudative form of age‑related macular degeneration (AMD). We performed a retrospective, analytical, interventional study, based on a series of cases with exudative form of AMD, which also comprised a prospective component related to the inclusion and treatment of the patients with a very new interventional method for that time (2006) and the follow‑up of the effects of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg) therapy in three monthly doses for short (1‑3 months) and medium (6‑18 months) periods of time. The follow‑up of these patients was made by determining visual acuity (VA) as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at baseline and at every visit, slit lamp examination with contact or noncontact lenses each time, and optical coherence tomography and/or angiofluorography, applied only for certain patients, at various times of the study. In total, 376 intravitreal injections were administered to 117 eyes of 96 patients. The VA improved in the assessment of 3 months in 77 eyes (66%), either subjective (by the patient) or objectively quantified (by the physician). In 40 eyes (34%), there was no change in VA. In patients for whom optical coherence tomography could be performed, a significant reduction of the macula's thickness was found. The use of bevacizumab in subretinal neovascular membrane treatment is effective and safe on short and medium term, with the improvement of BCVA and reduction of macular edema in a significant number of cases.

View Figures

View References

1	Klein R, Klein BE, Jensen SC and Meuer SM: The five-year incidence and progression of age-related maculopathy: The Beaver Dam Eye Study. Ophthalmology. 104:7–21. 1997. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
2	National Eye Institute, . Statistics and Data. Prevalence of Blindness Data. Data Tables [online]. 2007, https://nei.nih.gov/eyedata/pbd_tables
3	Fine SL, Berger JW, Maguire MG and Ho AC: Age-related macular degeneration. N Engl J Med. 342:483–492. 2000. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
4	Ciulla TA, Harris A and Martin BJ: Ocular perfusion and age-related macular degeneration. Acta Ophthalmol Scand. 79:108–115. 2001. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
5	Moshfeghi AA, Rosenfeld PJ, Puliafito CA, Michels S, Marcus EN, Lenchus JD and Venkatraman AS: Systemic bevacizumab (Avastin) therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration: Twenty-four-week results of an uncontrolled open-label clinical study. Ophthalmology. 113:2002.e1–2002.e12. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar
6	Rosenfeld PJ, Fung AE and Puliafito CA: Optical coherence tomography findings after an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (avastin) for macular edema from central retinal vein occlusion. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging. 36:336–339. 2005. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
7	Bakri SJ, Cameron JD, McCannel CA, Pulido JS and Marler RJ: Absence of histologic retinal toxicity of intravitreal bevacizumab in a rabbit model. Am J Ophthalmol. 142:162–164. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
8	Manzano RP, Peyman GA, Khan P and Kivilcim M: Testing intravitreal toxicity of bevacizumab (Avastin). Retina. 26:257–261. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
9	Kiss C, Michels S, Prager F, Weigert G, Geitzenauer W and Schmidt-Erfurth U: Anterior chamber inflammatory activity in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin). Retina. 26:877–881. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
10	Spitzer MS, Wallenfels-Thilo B, Sierra A, Yoeruek E, Peters S, Henke-Fahle S, Bartz-Schmidt KU and Szurman P; Tuebingen Bevacizumab Study Group, : Antiproliferative and cytotoxic properties of bevacizumab on different ocular cells. Br J Ophthalmol. 90:1316–1321. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
11	Ziemssen F, Warga M, Neuhann IM, Leitritz M, Biester S, Grisanti S and Bartz-Schmidt KU: Does intravitreal injection of bevacizumab have an effect on the blood-aqueus barrier function? Br J Ophthalmol. 90:9222006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
12	Mangione CM, Lee PP, Gutierrez PR, Spritzer K, Berry S and Hays RD; National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire Field Test Investigators, : Development of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire. Arch Ophthalmol. 119:1050–1058. 2001. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
13	Mordenti J, Cuthbertson RA, Ferrara N, Thomsen K, Berleau L, Licko V, Allen PC, Valverde CR, meng YG, Fei DT, et al: Comparisons of the intraocular tissue distribution, pharmacokinetics, and safety of ¹²⁵I-labeled full-length and Fab antibodies in rhesus monkeys following intravitreal administration. Toxicol Pathol. 27:536–544. 1999. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
14	Rosenfeld PJ, Moshfeghi AA and Puliafito CA: Optical coherence tomography findings after an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (avastin) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging. 36:331–335. 2005. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
15	Shahar J, Avery RL, Heilweil G, Barak A, Zemel E, Lewis GP, Johnson PT, Fisher SK, Perlman I and Loewenstein A: Electrophysiologic and retinal penetration studies following intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin). Retina. 26:262–269. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
16	Spaide RF, Laud K, Fine HF, Klancnik JM Jr, Meyerle CB, Yannuzzi LA, Sorenson J, Slakter J, Fisher YL and Cooney MJ: Intravitreal bevacizumab treatment of choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Retina. 26:383–390. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
17	Heiduschka P, Fietz H, Hofmeister S, Schultheiss S, Mack AF, Peters S, Ziemssen F, Niggemann B, Julien S, Bartz-Schmidt KU, et al Tübingen Bevacizumab Study Group, : Penetration of bevacizumab through the retina after intravitreal injection in the monkey. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 48:2814–2823. 2007. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
18	Iturralde D, Spaide RF, Meyerle CB, Klancnik JM, Yannuzzi LA, Fisher YL, Sorenson J, Slakter JS, Freund KB, Cooney M, et al: Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment of macular edema in central retinal vein occlusion: A short-term study. Retina. 26:279–284. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
19	Spaide RF and Fisher YL: Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy complicated by vitreous hemorrhage. Retina. 26:275–278. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
20	Avery RL: Regression of retinal and iris neovascularization after intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment. Retina. 26:352–354. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
21	Avery RL, Pearlman J, Pieramici DJ, Rabena MD, Castellarin AA, Nasir MA, Giust MJ, Wendel R and Patel A: Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Ophthalmology. 113:1695.e1–1695.e15. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar
22	Aisenbrey S, Ziemssen F, Völker M, Gelisken F, Szurman P, Jaissle G, Grisanti S and Bartz-Schmidt KU: Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for occult choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 245:941–948. 2007. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
23	Avery RL, Pieramici DJ, Rabena MD, Castellarin AA, Nasir MA and Giust MJ: Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology. 113:363–372.e5. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
24	Yoganathan P, Deramo VA, Lai JC, Tibrewala RK and Fastenberg DM: Visual improvement following intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) in exudative age-related macular degeneration. Retina. 26:994–998. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
25	Sakaguchi H, Ikuno Y, Gomi F, Kamei M, Sawa M, Tsujikawa M, Oshima Y, Kusaka S and Tano Y: Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab for choroidal neovascularisation associated with pathological myopia. Br J Ophthalmol. 91:161–165. 2007. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
26	Laud K, Spaide RF, Freund KB, Slakter J and Klancnik JM Jr: Treatment of choroidal neovascularization in pathologic myopia with intravitreal bevacizumab. Retina. 26:960–963. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
27	Tewari A, Dhalla MS and Apte RS: Intravitreal bevacizumab for treatment of choroidal neovascularization in pathologic myopia. Retina. 26:1093–1094. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
28	Teixeira A, Moraes N, Farah ME and Bonomo PP: Choroidal neovascularization treated with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) in angioid streaks. Acta Ophthalmol Scand. 84:835–836. 2006. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
29	Lommatzsch A, Spital G, Trieschmann M and Pauleikhoff D: Intraocular application of bevacizumab for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization secondary to angioid streaks. Ophthalmologe. 104:325–328. 2007.(In German). View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
30	Jorge R, Costa RA, Calucci D and Scott IU: Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) associated with the regression of subretinal neovascularization in idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 245:1045–1048. 2007. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
31	Munteanu M and Rosca C: Repositioning and follow-up of intralenticular dexamethasone implant. J Cataract Refract Surg. 39:1271–1274. 2013. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
32	Jianu DC, Jianu SN, Dan TF, Motoc AGM and Poenaru M: Pulsatile tinnitus caused by a dilated left petrosquamosal sinus. Rom J Morphol Embryol. 57:319–322. 2016.PubMed/NCBI
33	Stanca HT, Suvac E, Munteanu M, Jianu DC, Motoc AGM, Roşca GC and Boruga O: Giant cell arteritis with arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Rom J Morphol Embryol. 58:281–285. 2017.PubMed/NCBI
34	Caruntu C, Boda D, Dumitrascu G, Constantin C and Neagu M: Proteomics focusing on immune markers in psoriatic arthritis. Biomarkers Med. 9:513–528. 2015. View Article : Google Scholar
35	Solomon I, Voiculescu VM, Caruntu C, Lupu M, Popa A, Ilie MA, Albulescu R, Caruntu A, Tanase C, Constantin C, et al: Neuroendocrine factors and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: An affair to remember. Dis Markers. 2018:97878312018. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
36	Ion A, Popa IM, Papagheorghe LML, Lisievici C, Lupu M, Voiculescu V, Caruntu C and Boda D: Proteomic approaches to biomarker discovery in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Dis Markers. 2016:96024722016. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
37	Lupu M, Caruntu A, Caruntu C, Papagheorghe LML, Ilie MA, Voiculescu V, Boda D, Constantin C, Tanase C, Sifaki M, et al: Neuroendocrine factors: The missing link in non-melanoma skin cancer (Review). Oncol Rep. 38:1327–1340. 2017. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI
38	Batani A, Brănișteanu DE, Ilie MA, Boda D, Ianosi S, Ianosi G and Caruntu C: Assessment of dermal papillary and microvascular parameters in psoriasis vulgaris using in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy. Exp Ther Med. 15:1241–1246. 2018.PubMed/NCBI