Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40003678›Full record

ArticleLife (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Optical Coherence Tomography Biomarkers Predict the Long-Term Restorative Effect of Early Anti-VEGF Treatment on Diabetic Macular Edema.

Süleyman Okudan, Sule Acar Duyan, Abdullah Erdem, Ayse Bozkurt Oflaz, Banu Turgut Ozturk

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Life (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Süleyman OkudanFaculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Selçuk University, 42130 Konya, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-9491-1459
Sule Acar DuyanFaculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Selçuk University, 42130 Konya, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0002-9319-0477
Abdullah ErdemFaculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Selçuk University, 42130 Konya, Türkiye.ORCID 0009-0003-6253-7049
Ayse Bozkurt OflazFaculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Selçuk University, 42130 Konya, Türkiye.ORCID 0000-0001-5894-0220
Banu Turgut OzturkFaculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Selçuk University, 42130 Konya, Türkiye.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background/purposeThis study compared the effects of three induction doses of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) on diabetic macular edema (DME) with that of long-term treatment using biomarkers to find out the predictability potential of early response to anti-VEGF treatment for the long-term restorative effect.

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical and optical coherence tomography (OCT) data of 71 DME eyes treated with three monthly anti-VEGF doses and followed for 1 year. BCVA, central subfield thickness (CST), subretinal fluid (SRF), intraretinal cysts, hyperreflective foci (HF), disorganization of inner retinal layers (DRILs), ellipsoid zone/external limiting membrane (EZ/ELM) integrity, and vitreoretinal relationships were assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months.

resultsPatients (50.7% male) had a mean follow-up of 12 months. After three anti-VEGF doses, 19 eyes required no additional injections, 25 continued anti-VEGF, 20 switched to dexamethasone implants, and seven received combination therapy. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from 0.52 to 0.40 logMAR at 3 months, 0.30 at 6 months, and stabilized at 0.40 at 12 months. CST decreased from 406 µm to 317 µm at 3 months and 307 µm at 12 months. Significant early improvements in BCVA, CST, SRF, and intraretinal cysts were sustained in the long-term follow-up. HF reduction became significant after 6 months, while DRIL and EZ/ELM integrity remained unchanged.

conclusionsThe improvement of OCT biomarkers in DME patients supported that intravitreal anti-VEGF significantly restored the retinal microstructure, which was already evident at 3 months in the control after anti-VEGF induction.

Indexed as

anti-VEGF therapydiabetic macular edemadiabetic retinopathyoptical coherence tomography biomarkers

Identifiers

PMID40003678
PMCPMC11857452

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.