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Published on: February 18, 2022
Correlation of macular choroidal thickness with concentrations of aqueous vascular endothelial growth factor in high
Wei Chen1, Hui Song, Shiyong Xie
1Clinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University , Tianjin City , P.R. China.
Purpose:
To investigate the association of both aqueous and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and macular choroidal thickness in high myopia.
Materials And Methods:
VEGF concentrations were measured in aqueous and serum samples via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared between high myopia (n = 36 eyes, 36 patients) and normal control (n = 42 eyes, 42 patients) eyes. Macular choroidal thickness, the distance from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) to the scleral interface, was determined via enhanced depth-imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). Axial length was measured using the intraocular (IOL) lens Master.
Results:
Aqueous levels of VEGF from high myopia patients were significantly lower compared with those from control persons (61.4 ± 27.6 versus 122.6 ± 52.4 pg/ml; p < 0.001), respectively. Macular choroidal thickness of high myopia patients was significantly lower compared with that of control persons (111.1 ± 45.0 versus 230.6 ± 81.8 μm; p < 0.001), respectively. Aqueous levels of VEGF were significantly associated with both macular choroidal thickness (R(2)= 0.641; p < 0.001) and axial length (R(2)= 0.679; p < 0.001) in high myopia patients. In addition, there was a significantly negative correlation between macular choroidal thickness and axial length (R(2)= 0.69; p < 0.001). However, no correlation between serum VEGF and either macular choroidal thickness or axial length was detected in high myopia patients (R(2)= 0.009; p = 0.59; R(2)= 0.00002; p = 0.981).
Conclusions:
Macular choroidal thickness was significantly correlated with aqueous, but not serum, levels of VEGF in highly myopic eyes. Macular choroidal thickness may be of predictive value for identifying aqueous VEGF levels in high myopia patients and may, thus, be a useful prognostic modality.
