{"DOI":"10.1186/s12886-020-01684-7","PMCID":"PMC7592502","PMID":"33115414","abstract":"Abstract\n\nBackground\nNumerous cytokines have been proven to participate in the pathogenesis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). The present study aimed to investigate the aqueous humor cytokine expression profile in nAMD patients before and after ranibizumab treatments in comparison to cataract patients.\n\n\nMethods\nThis prospective study included 20 treatment-na\u00efve nAMD eyes of 20 patients who received three consecutive monthly injections of ranibizumab. Aqueous humor samples were collected before the first (baseline), second (1\u2009month later), and third (2\u2009months later) injections. Controls were 20 age- and gender-matched cataract patients without any other ocular disease. The aqueous concentrations of 28 cytokines were measured using a multiplex bead assay. Central macular thickness (CMT) and maximum retinal thickness (MRT)-3\u2009mm were measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The greatest linear diameter (GLD) was measured by fundus fluorescein angiography (FA).\n\n\nResults\nThree cytokines in aqueous humor, including angiogenin, interleukin-36\u03b2 (IL-36\u03b2), and fibroblast growth factor-acidic (FGF-\u03b1) were significantly higher in nAMD patients in comparison to cataract patients, both before and\u00a0after two consecutive monthly ranibizumab injections. Compared with the nAMD patients' basal levels, two consecutive monthly ranibizumab injections effectively reduced the aqueous concentrations of VEGF-A and placental growth factor (PlGF), as well as\u00a0the values of CMT, MRT-3\u2009mm, and GLD.\n\n\nConclusions\nAngiogenin, IL-36\u03b2, and FGF-\u03b1 have higher expression levels in nAMD patients in comparison to cataract patients, both\u00a0before and\u00a0after 2\u2009months of ranibizumab therapy. These cytokines may have correlations with the pathogenesis of nAMD.\n","author":[{"family":"Chen","given":"Kailin"},{"family":"Xu","given":"Wen"},{"family":"Zheng","given":"Jiao"},{"family":"Shen","given":"Yupeng"},{"family":"Ma","given":"Jian"},{"family":"Chen","given":"Zhiqing"}],"id":"unknown","issue":"1","issued":{"date-parts":[[2020,10,28]]},"language":"en","page-first":"431","publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","title":"Angiogenin, FGF-\u03b1, and IL-36\u03b2 have higher expression levels in aqueous humor of nAMD patients in comparison to cataract patients","type":"article-journal","volume":"20"}