Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the possible clinical and genetic indicators for an early response to intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Patients & methods: The records of 120 eyes from 120 Japanese patients with treatment-naive exudative AMD were retrospectively reviewed. Three consecutive IVR treatments were performed every month. Achievement of anatomical resolution was evaluated by ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted by analyzing SNPs in the ARMS2 locus (A69S) and in the CFH gene (I62V and Y402H), in addition to clinical factors.
Results: The mean central retinal thickness of overall patients was significantly decreased (-120.1 ± 122.8 µm, p = 2.7 × 10(-19)) at 3 months after the initial treatment. In the logistic regression analysis, the poor anatomical resolution of the lesion at 3 months was associated with the combination of CFH I62V + CFH Y402H variants (p = 0.0021), and the polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy lesions (p = 0.044).
Conclusion: The CFH variants and the polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy lesion may influence the early anatomical resolution with IVR in exudative AMD.
Keywords: 3 months results; age-related macular degeneration; age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2; anatomical outcome; complement factor H; ranibizumab; single nucleotide polymorphism.