ObjectiveTo seek the evidencebased medicine (EBM) evidences of curative effects of intravitreous injection with triamcinolone acetonide (TA) for macular edema.MethodsAll articles of intravitreous injection TA for macular edema published in English or Chinese were picked up from databases of MEDLINE and CNKI and then evaluated according to EBM standard. The data in accord with research standard were selected by using excluding and including criteria, and classified according to the appraisal standard of clinical therapeutic documents.
ResultsIn the selected papers, none in gradeⅠevidence; 1 in gradeⅡevidence; 7 in grade Ⅲ evidence; 24 in grade Ⅳ evidence; and 19 in gradeⅤevidence. Forty-two papers reported that intravitreous injection with TA had significant effect for macular edema within 3 months, and the improvement of visual acuity was recorded in these papers. Regression of macular edema was recorded in 23 papers. Among 20 papers, side-effect was found in 93 eyes (31.41%) and the serious sideeffect in 4 eyes (1.35%).ConclusionsIntravitreous injection with TA has some curative effects for macular edema in short term, but the quality of current study has not been encouraging. There are no grade I document and lack of the study of validity in long term and essentiality and validity of retreatment. The special attention should be payed on the increasing persistency of efficacy and preventing the serious side-effects in the future investigation.(Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2005,21:220-223)
ObjectiveTo observe the effect of triamcinolone acetonide(TA) on activation and barrier function of human retinal pigment epithelium （RPE）.MethodsARPE-19 cells were cultured in 96well tissue culture plate. Four weeks later, TA with different concentration (0.02 and 0.05 mg/ml)was added to the cells and culture for 3 or 7 days. The activation of ARPE-19 cells was assessed by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT). ARPE-19 cells were cultured on polyester microporous filters for 4 weeks, and the transepithelial resistance (TER) was recorded. TA (0.02 and 0.05 mg/ml) was added to the culture fluid respectively, and after cultured for 1 week TER was measured again. The RPE permeability was detected by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with horse radish peroxidase as the tracer.
ResultsIn the culture fluid with 002 mg/ml TA cultured for 3 or 7 days, the average survival rate of ARPE-19 cells was 93.70% and 90.63% respectively, without statistic difference compared with the control (P=0.147, 0.091). While in the 0.05 mg/ml TA group after cultured for the same duration, the activation of ARPE-19 cells decreased significantly compared with the control (with the average survival rate of 87.75% and 88.98%; P=0.025, 0.043). One week after cultured with TA, TER decreased significantly while permeability improved obviously in the 2 TA groups compared to the control (Plt;0.001; 0.001lt;Plt;0.05).ConclusionTA may decrease the activation of and destroy the barrier function of ARPE-19 cells. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2005,21:237-239)
ObjectiveTo observe the short-term efficacy of posterior sub-tenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide (PSTA) in the treatment of macular edema due to ischemic retinal vein occlusions (RVO).
MethodsA retrospective clinical study. A total of 53 eyes of 53 patients with RVO macular edema diagnosed by fundus color photography, fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were included in the study. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was detected by the international standard visual acuity chart, and the results were converted to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity. The central macular thickness (CMT) was measured by OCT. Among 53 eyes, there were 27 eyes with ischemic RVO macular edema (ischemic group) and 26 eyes with non-ischemic RVO macular edema (non-ischemic group). The mean logMAR BCVA was 0.82±0.37, mean CMT was (662.1±216.7) μm in ischemic group. The mean logMAR BCVA was 0.41±0.23, mean CMT was (548.0±161.9) μm. The differences of logMAR BCVA and CMT between the two groups were both statistically significant (t=4.745, 2.258; P<0.05). All eyes were treated with a single sub-Tenon injection of 0.4 ml triamcinolone acetonide suspension (100 mg/ml).The mean logMAR BCVA, CMT before and 1, 3 months after the treatment between the two groups were observed and compared.
ResultsOn 1 and 3 months after treatment, the mean logMAR BCVA in the non-ischemic group (0.32±0.25 and 0.27±0.29) were improved compared with ischemic group (0.76±0.37 and 0.41±0.79), the difference was statistically significant (t=5.052, 5.240; P<0.05). The mean logMAR BCVA before and after treatment had no statistically significant difference in ischemic group (F=0.516, P>0.05), but had a statistically significant difference in non-ischemic group (F=7.685, P<0.05). On 1 and 3 months after treatment, the mean CMT in the ischemic group were (534.7±223.4), (470.8±234.7) μm, which were lower (127.4±28.28), (191.4±34.55) μm before treatment. In the non-ischemic group, the average CMT was (426.2±188.8), (371.3±200.6) μm, which were lower (103.1±33.1), (164.9±49.6) μm. There were statistically significant differences in the mean CMT between the ischemic group and the non-ischemic group (F=17.040, 10.360; P<0.05). In non-ischemic group, CMT had a bigger reduction compared to the the ischemic group (t=2.056, 2.103; P<0.05). The difference of CMT decrease value between two groups was not statistically significant (t=0.560, 0.441; P>0.05). On 1 month after the treatment, there were 3 and 5 eyes had a higher intraocular pressure than 21 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) in ischemic and non-ischemic group, respectively; but all of them returned to normal after drug treatment. There were no drugs and ocular injection related complications.
ConclusionPSTA of ischemic RVO macular edema can lower the CMT in the short term, but can't significant improve the visual acuity.
Objective
To investigate the relationship between expression of retinal intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and blood-retinal barrier (BRB) rupture and therapeutic effect of intravitreous injection with triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on blood-retinal barrier rupture in rats with diabetes mellitus (DM).
Methods
Diabetic model of Wistar rats was induced and were divided into normal control group, DM-4-month group and DM-6-month group. Each group was subdivided into immunohistochemcial staining and BRB measurement groups. BRB measurement group was further divided into non-TA treatment group, 1-week-TA treatment group, and 2-week-TA treatment group. The rats were intravitreously injected with 5 mu;l TA. The digested retinal preparation was stained by immunohistochemcial method to observe the expression of retinal ICAM-1 and morphological changes. The mean optic density (A) value of endothelial cells was measured by image-analyzing software to quantify the expression of ICAM-1. BRB changes were measured by content test of retinal Evans blue (EB).
Results
In the immunohistochemcial staining groups, there was no significant positive expression of ICAM-1 in retinal capillary in control group. Compared with the control, there was significant positive expression of ICAM-1 in DM-4-month group (P＜0.001) with some morphological changes such as irregular width of capillary caliber, and there was enhanced positive expression of ICAM-1 in DM-6-month group (P＜0.001) with aggravated morphological changes and even acellular capillary. In the BRB measurement groups, there was no significant difference of EB content(P＞0.05) among control groups. The EB content in two DM groups significantly increased compared with that in the controls (Plt;0.001), and higher in DM-6-month group than that in DM-4-month group (Plt;0.01). In TA treatment groups, the EB content in all the DM groups significantly decreased (Plt;0.001) but with no significant difference among the groups(P＞0.05). EB content in DM-4-month group after 2-week treatment almost reached to normal value (P＞0.05) while was
higher in the rest of TA treatment groups than that in the control group (Plt;0.05). Rectilinear correlation between A value of endothelial cells and the retinal EB content(r=－0.959)was found.
Conclusion
There is a positive relation between the expression of ICAM-1 and BRB rupture in retina of DM rats, and intravitreous injection with TA can effectively alleviate BRB rupture.
(Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2006, 22: 24-27)
ObjectiveTo observe the therapeutic effect of intravitreous injection with triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on diffused diabetic macular edema.MethodsIntravitreous injection with TA was performed on 21 patients with diabetic macular edema who had undergone ocular-fundus examination, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The followup duration was 1 month, 3, and 6 months. The visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and retinal thickness at the macular area before and after the treatment, examined by ETDRS eye chart, noncontact tonometer, and OCT respectively, were observed and compared.ResultsOne month, 3, and 6 months after the injection, the mean extent of improvement of visual acuity was 7.5, 9.1 (including 2-line improvement in 10 eyes which occupied 48%), and 5.1 letters respectively; while the decrease of retinal thickness at macula was 143 μm (decrease of 33%), 184 μm (decrease of 42%), and 151 μm (decrease of 35%) respectively.ConclusionsIntravitreous injection with TA is effective for diffused diabetic macular edema in a short term (about 3 months).(Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2005,21:217-219)
Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most threatening complication of diabetic retinopathy that affects visual function, which is characterized by intractability and recurrent attacks. Currently, the clinical routine treatments for DME mainly include intravitreal injection, grid laser photocoagulation in the macular area, subthreshold micropulse laser, periocular corticosteroid injection, and vitrectomy. Although conventional treatments are effective for some patients, persistent, refractory, and recurrent DME remains a clinical challenge that needs to be urgently addressed. In recent years, clinical studies have found that certain combination therapies are superior to monotherapy, which can not only restore the anatomical structure of the macular area and effectively reduce macular edema but also improve visual function to some extent while reducing the number of treatments and the overall cost. This makes up for the shortcomings of single treatment modalities and is highly anticipated in the clinical setting. However, the application of combination therapy in clinical practice is relatively short, and its safety and long-term effectiveness need further exploration. Currently, new drugs, new formulations, and new therapeutic targets are still under research and development to address different mechanisms of DME occurrence and development, such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents designed to anchor repetitive sequence proteins with stronger inhibition of vascular leakage, multiple growth factor inhibitors, anti-inflammatory agents, and stem cell therapy. With the continuous improvement of the combination application of existing drugs and treatments and the development of new drugs and treatment technologies, personalized treatment for DME will become possible.
Objective
To observe the changes of intraocular pressure (IOP) after intravitreous injection wih triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and their affected factors.
Methods
The clinical data of 125 patients (125eyes) who had undergone intravitreous injection with TA were retrospectively analyzed. The patients (52 males and 73 females) aged from 17 to 83 years with the average age of 56.5. There were 49 patient (39.2%) with diabetic retinopathy (DR), 56 (44.8%) with retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and 20 (16.0%) with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). One day before the treatment, IOP was measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry, and the basic IOP was 7~31 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) and the average IOP was (14.69plusmn;3.72) mm Hg. The patients were divided into two groups according to the basic IOP:below 15 mm Hg group (n=64) and 15 mm Hg or above group (n=61). All of the patients underwent intravitreous injection with 4mg TA. IOP was measured 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month after the treatment in the same way, respectively, and later was measured once every 1 month. The follow-up period was 3~21 months with the mean of 5 months. The elevation of IOP would be defined as the pressure of 21mmHg or higher. The changes of IOP in patients before and after the treatment, and with different diseases and ages were analyzed.
Results
Thirty-six patients (28.8%) had elevation of IOP after the treatment, out of whom 97.2% had the elevation within 3 months after the injection and decreased to the basic level 7 months after the injection. In these patients, there were 11 (17.19%) in the below 15 mm Hg group and 25 (40.98%) in 15 mm Hg or above group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P＜0.01）. During the followup period, the mean maximum IOP was (20.09plusmn;7.58) mmHg, which was 5.43 mmHg higher than that before the treatment（P＜0.001）. The mean maximum IOP of 53 patients (42.4%) after the treatment was 5 mm Hg higher than that before the treatment. The mean maximum IOP during the followup period was （18.19plusmn;4.73）mmHg in DR group，（22.50plusmn;9.30）mmHg in RVO group, and（18.12plusmn;6.09）mmHg in AMD group. The occurrence of the elevation of IOP in RVO group was obviously higher than that in the other 2 groups (P＜0.01）. The result of regression analysis showed that age was correlative with the elevation of IOP after the treatment: more risks of occurrence of high IOP were found in younger patients (P=0.000).
Conclusion
Elevation of IOP after intravitreous injection with TA is common, which is correlative with the basic IOP, age, and pathogeny. After the intravitreous injection with TA, the elevation of IOP often occurs in patients with high basic IOP before treatment, younger age, and RVO.
(Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2007, 23: 115-117)
Objective To evaluate the effects of retinal cryotherapy and intravitreal triamcinolone injection to treat Coatsprime; disease with exudative retinal detachment.Methods This was a prospective consecutive case study, and 21 patients (21 eyes) with Coatsprime; disease accompanied by exudative retinal detachment were enrolled. There were 19 males and two females patients, aged from two to 18 years. Fifteen eyes had partial retinal detachment (stage 3A) and six eyes had total retinal detachment (stage 3B). All patients underwent cryocoagulation and intravitreal triamcinolone injection. Three eyes underwent sclerotomy to drain subretinal fluid. Four eyes underwent further treatment by photocoagulation or cryotherapy for the residual abnormal blood vessels after the surgery. The follow-up ranged from three to 15 months with an average of seven months. Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, eye position and eye movements, slit lamp microscope, indirect ophthalmoscope and color fundus imaging were followed up. The last followup time was considered as the judgment time for the therapeutic effects. Results Six eyes had increased intraocular pressure after the surgery, which was controlled by local drug treatment. At the end of follow-up, 19 eyes had reattached retina, one eye had partial retinal detachment and one eye had total retinal detachment. The vision improved in three eyes,unchanged in 14 eyes, and decreased in two eyes. Other complications included strabismus (one eye) and cataract (four eyes). Conclusion The combined treatment of cryotherapy and intravitreal triamcinolone injection is an effective therapy for the Coatsprime; disease with exudative retinal detachment, as retina reattaches and visual function is saved in most patients after this treatment.
Objective To observe the influence of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on the expression of pigment epitheliumderived factor (PEDF) of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Methods Cultured humanRPE cells (4th－6th generations) were treated with four different concentrations of TA (40, 400, 4times;103 and 4times;104 mu;g/L) for three different periods (12 or 24 or 48 hours), the levels of PEDF protein in the cell culture supernatant and cell lysates were determined by Western blot. After the initial experiment, RPE cells were treated with or without tumor necrosis factor-alpha; (TNF-alpha;, 20 ng/ml） for 24 hours, followed by TA (400 mu;g/L) treatment. The levels of PEDF and phospho-p38 mitogen activated protein kinase(p-p38MAPK) protein expression in cell culture supernatant and cell lysates were measured by Western blot. Results TAtreated RPE cells had higher PEDF expression, and 400 mu;g/L TA group had the highest effect (F＝16.98,P＜0.05). 400 mu;g/L TA treatment for one, six or 24 hours, with or without TNF-alpha; pretreatment, could all promote the PEDF expression and inhibit the p-p38MAPK protein expression (F＝16.87, 10.28; P＜0.01). TNF-alpha; pretreatment alone could inhibit PEDF protein expression and promote p-p38MAPK protein expression (F=16.87, 10.28; P＜0.01). Conclusions TA can up-regulate the expression of PEDF, and downregulate the expression of p-p38MAPK in the cultured human RPE cells.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide combined of macular laser grid photocoagulation (IVTA/MLG) versus macular laser grid (MLG) photocoagulation only for treatment of diabetic macular edema. Methods A computerized search was conducted in the Cochrane Library, Embase Library, Pubmed, Chinese Biomedical Database, Chinese Journal Full-text Database and Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals Database. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) on IVTA/MLG and MLG only for treatment of diabetic macular edema were selected. After the data extraction, quality of RCT was assessed. The meta analysis was performed by RevMan 5.1.The outcome measures included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the central foveal thickness (CMT). Results In total, six RCT that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were included in the metaanalysis involving 166 eyes in MLG group and 165 eyes in IVTA/MLG group. The results suggested that there was no significant differences in BCVA (Z=1.27,P=0.20), but differences were statistically significant comparing CMT (Z=2.41,P=0.02), incidence of ocular hypertension and cataract (Z=3.62,P＜0.01) between MLG and IVTA/MLG groups at the six month follow-up. Conclusions There is no significant advantage of IVTA/MLG as compared with MLG,but it could reduce CMT. However, a high-quality, large sample RCT should be further investigated.
