Evidence mapPaperPMID 41821086Full record

ArticleEye and vision (London, England)2026

Development of a predictive model based on aqueous cytokines data for response to anti-VEGF therapy in diabetic macular edema.

Fuhua Yang, Yi Gong, Xiaoying Pan, Jinzhi Zhao, Rongguo Yu, Liangzhang Tan, Emmanuel Eric Pazo, Xiaomin Zhang, Xiaorong Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Eye and vision (London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Fuhua YangTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300384, China.
Yi GongTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300384, China.
Xiaoying PanTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300384, China.
Jinzhi ZhaoTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300384, China.
Rongguo YuTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300384, China.
Liangzhang TanTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300384, China.
Emmanuel Eric PazoTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300384, China.
Xiaomin Zhang *Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300384, China. xzhang08@tmu.edu.cn.
Xiaorong Li *Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300384, China. lixiaorong@tmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0641-2797

Funding

Beijing Medical Award Fund Project YXJL-2022-0235-0017Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases Project 2022tjswmm004Tianjin Key Medical Discipline Construction Project TJYXZDXK-3-004A-2
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIntravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents improve visual acuity in diabetic macular edema (DME). However, resistance, non-response, or recurrence occurs in many patients. Predictive biomarkers for anti-VEGF response are lacking. We aim to identify cytokine markers predictive of anti-VEGF response and elucidate cytokines involved in poor-response DME pathogenesis.

methodsA luminex assay was carried out to measure the concentration of cytokines in the aqueous humor. A predictive model based on baseline cytokines was constructed in a discovery set that comprised 46 responders and 20 non-responders. In addition, an analysis of baseline cytokines of 15 responders and 12 non-responders was conducted as a validation set. The performance of the nomogram was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test.

resultsBaseline concentrations of angiogenesis-related cytokines VEGF (P < 0.0001), placenta growth factor (PIGF) (P < 0.0001), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) (P < 0.0001), inflammatory factor interleukin-6 (IL-6) (P < 0.0001), IL-8 (P < 0.0001), chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) (P < 0.0001), and adhesion factor intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) (P < 0.001) were significantly increased compared to controls. The prediction nomogram model included five baseline cytokines: VEGF, IL-6, Ang-2, MCP-1, and ICAM-1 were constructed. The AUC for the discovery set was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.74-0.96) and for the internal validation was 0.84, indicating that the prediction model has good predictive accuracy. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test showed good model calibration (P = 0.295). The levels of Ang-2 (P = 0.0042), IL-6 (P < 0.0001), IL-8 (P < 0.0001), MCP-1 (P < 0.0001), and PIGF (P < 0.0001) were still significantly increased at the 6-month timepoint after multiple injections of anti-VEGF drugs for non-response group patients.

conclusionThe baseline cytokine-based model helped to assess the individual probability of response to anti-VEGF therapy. There are cytokines beyond VEGF that are involved in the pathogenesis of DME, therapeutic regimens targeting these cytokines may improve the visual acuity and reduce macular edema.

Indexed as

Anti-VEGFCytokinesDiabetic macular edemaPredictive model

Identifiers

PMID41821086
PMCPMC12983647

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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 Socratic graph.