Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a common complication of diabetes, and when coupled with diabetic nephropathy (DN), it poses additional challenges to management. In a recent retrospective study, researchers aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of conbercept on DME patients with and without DN.
This study was published in the International Journal Of Ophthalmology by Zhu YZ and colleagues.
The study included 54 patients diagnosed with DME, categorized into two groups: those with DN (25 eyes) and those without DN (29 eyes). Various parameters, including fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, microalbumin/creatinine, serum creatinine, central macular thickness (CMT), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and retinal hyperreflective foci (HF), were assessed before and during treatment. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was utilized to evaluate ellipsoidal zone (EZ) and external limiting membrane (ELM) integrity.

The key findings of the study were:
Significant differences were observed between the two groups in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, serum creatinine, urinary microalbumin/creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
EZ and ELM continuity were worse in the DME+DN group.
BCVA was significantly better in the DME group compared to the DME+DN group throughout treatment. CMT and HF values were higher in the DME+DN group and decreased with treatment in both groups over time.
The mean number of injections at 6 months was higher in the DME+DN group compared to the DME group.
Conbercept demonstrated significant efficacy in the short-term treatment of DME, with or without DN. It improved BCVA, CMT, and reduced HF counts. However, treatment efficacy was better in DME patients without DN. These findings highlight the potential of conbercept in managing DME, particularly in patients without DN. Further research is warranted to validate these results and explore long-term outcomes.
Reference:
Zhu YZ, Dou ZZ, Wang WY, Ma QY, Yi WD, Yao NN, Liu YC, Gao XD, Zhang Q, Luo WJ. Intravitreal injection of conbercept for diabetic macular edema complicated with diabetic nephropathy
DOI:10.18240/ijo.2024.02.12