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Updated: Jun 28, 2025
Characterization of a Novel Human Organotypic Retinal Culture Technique
Published on: June 9, 2021
Aqueous humour interleukin-6 and vision outcomes with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy
Yasir Jamal Sepah1, Diana V Do1, Marina Mesquida2
1Byers Eye Institute, Spencer Center for Vision Research, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Background:
This analysis evaluated aqueous humour (AH) interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations and the association between AH IL-6 and visual outcomes in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) or diabetic macular oedema (DMO) receiving anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monotherapy.
Methods:
Post hoc analysis of the multicentre, double-masked, randomised HARBOR (NCT00891735) and READ-3 (NCT01077401) trials. HARBOR enrolled treatment-naïve nAMD patients. READ-3 enrolled treatment-naïve/previously treated DMO patients. HARBOR patients received ranibizumab 0.5 or 2.0 mg monthly or as needed; AH samples were collected at month 2, after two previous intravitreal injections. READ-3 patients received ranibizumab 0.5 or 2.0 mg as needed; AH samples were collected at baseline and months 3, 6, 9, and 12.
Main Outcome Measure:
association between AH IL-6 concentrations and month 24 best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
Results:
In both trials (HARBOR, N = 36; READ-3, N = 137), patients with higher AH IL-6 concentrations had worse visual outcomes. HARBOR patients with low AH IL-6 concentrations at month 2 had a mean (95% CI) BCVA change at month 24 of +2.9 (-2.6, 8.3) letters, whereas patients with high AH concentrations had a mean (95% CI) BCVA change of -9.0 (-22.7, 4.7) letters. READ-3 patients with low AH concentrations at baseline had a mean (95% CI) BCVA change at month 12 of +9.3 (7.4, 11.3) letters, whereas patients with high AH concentrations had a mean (95% CI) BCVA change of +5.6 (2.2, 9.1) letters.
Conclusions:
Higher IL-6 AH concentrations may predict suboptimal visual responses to anti-VEGF monotherapy in patients with nAMD/DMO.
