Aqueous humor and plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-8 in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine aqueous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels in patients with central serous chori-oretinopathy (CSC) before a single intravitreal bevacizumab injection.

Methods: Twelve eyes with symptomatic CSC were included. Samples from patients with cataracts served as controls. The levels of VEGF and IL-8 concentrations were measured in aqueous humor and plasma by multiplex bead assays.

Results: All patients with CSC showed an improvement in visual acuity and resolved neurosensory detachment after intravitreal bevacizumab injection. The aqueous humor levels of VEGF and IL-8 were not significantly increased in patients with CSC compared with the healthy control group (18.2 ± 24.8 vs. 35.3 ± 28.5 pg/mL, P > 0.05; 2.3 ± 0.4 vs. 2.8 ± 0.3 pg/mL, P > 0.05, respectively). The plasma levels of VEGF and IL-8 in patients with CSC were not different from those in the healthy control group.

Conclusion: Vascular endothelial growth factor and IL-8 were not increased in the aqueous humor and plasma of patients with CSC. The effect of intravitreal bevacizumab injection as a treatment for CSC must be fully understood, and the true effect of anti-VEGF treatment in patients with CSC remains to be elucidated.