AIM: To investigate the correlations between aqueous concentrations of bone morphogenetic protein 6(BMP-6), interleukin 6(IL-6), and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and the parameters of macular edema acquired by optical coherence tomography(OCT)in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration(nARMD).

METHODS: Totally 35 eyes from 34 patients with nARMD were studied. Twenty eyes from 20 patients with no retinal pathology who underwent cataract surgery served as controls. The central subfield macular thickness(CSMT)of nARMD within 1 mm was measured with OCT. Aqueous humor samples were collected just before intravitreal ranibizumab injection in 35 eyes with nARMD and before cataract surgery in 20 control eyes. Concentration of BMP-6 were determined by ELISA. IL-6, VEGF were measured by cytometric bead array(CBA).

RESULTS: The level of BMP-6 in aqueous humor of patients with nARMD(35.29±4.27pg/mL)was significantly lower than that of control eyes(62.04±2.78pg/mL, P<0.05), while VEGF level was 93.13±47.25pg/mL, significantly higher than that of the control group 69.21±13.40pg/mL(P<0.05). The level of IL-6 was not significantly different between the two groups. BMP-6 was negatively correlated with CSMT(r=-0.409, P=0.015).

CONCLUSION: Aqueous humor concentrations of BMP-6 are decreased in eyes with nARMD. Aqueous humor concentrations of VEGF are elevated in eyes with nARMD. BMP-6 could be associated with the pathogenesis of nARMD.