Abstract:
Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of ranibizumab combined with vitrectomy in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tissue factor (TF).
Methods Retrospective longitudinal study of 53 patients (56 eyes) with PDR treated from June 2017 to June 2020. The vitrectomy group was the control group(n=26), intravitreal injection of ranibizumab combined with vitrectomy was the observation group (n=30), vitreous incision was performed before vitrectomy. The follow-up time was 3 months. The optimal corrective vision (best corrected visual acuity, BCVA), macular center thickness (CMT), VEGF, TF content, surgical time, and complications were compared between the two groups.
Results The mean BCVA in the two groups was similar and the difference was not statistically significant before treatment. The mean BCVA of the control group at 3 days, 1 and 3 months after treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment (F=18.356, P < 0.05). The BCVA mean value of the observation group at 3 days, 1 and 3months after treatment was higher than that before treatment, and the intragroup differences were statistically significant (F=20.174, P < 0.05). After treatment, the BCVA of the observation group at 3 days, 1 and 3 months was better than that of the control group, the difference was statistically significant (t=3.644, 3.525, 4.447, P < 0.05). After treatment, the mean CMT of the observation group at 3 days, 1and 3 months was better than that of the control group (t=4.947, 3.592, 14.770, P < 0.05). In the observation group after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab, the mean vitreous VEGF content was (130.68±30.39) pg/mL and the mean TF content was (153.88±32.13) pg/mL, which was lower than the control group's mean vitreous VEGF content of (315.65±43.41) pg/mL and the mean TF content was (281.00±57.34) pg/mL, the difference was statistically significant (t=25.426, 15.843, P < 0.05). The operation time of the observation group was shorter than that of the control group (t=10.547, P < 0.05), and the incidence of iatrogenic hiatus, electrocoagulation hemostasis, and postoperative bleeding in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (χ2=4.634, 5.127, 4.625, P < 0.05).
Conclusions Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab combined with vitrectomy can reduce retinal macular edema and improve visual acuity and inhibit the expression of VEGF and TF. Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab combined with vitrectomy is becoming a comprehensive treatment model for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.