Efficacy of a biosimilar ranibizumab monotherapy for the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of a biosimilar ranibizumab (Razumab) on outcomes of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) for the first time. Methods: This retrospective study included infants presenting with stage 3+ ROP either in zone 1 or zone 2 posterior or aggressive posterior ROP (APROP). All eligible infants received intravitreal razumab (0.25 mg/0.025 ml) monotherapy. Follow-up was continued monthly till complete retinal vascularization was achieved while retreatment with razumab was given when recurrent neovascularization was noted. In case of no recurrence but incomplete vascularization, laser photocoagulation was done to the residual avascular retina. Results: We included 118 eyes of 59 infants with a median gestational age of 30 weeks and median birth weight of 1250 grams. At presentation, APROP was found in 28 eyes (24%) of 14 babies while stage 3 disease was seen in zone 1 in another 28 eyes (24%) and the remaining 62 eyes (52%) had stage 3 ROP in zone 2 posterior region. Complete resolution of ROP along with complete vascularization was seen in 22 eyes (19%) at a median of 55 days (IQR = 31-56 days) and 42 eyes (35%) showed a recurrent neovascularization at a median of 51 days post razumab (IQR = 42-55 days). The cumulative incidence of recurrence of neovascularization (21%, 95% CI = 14%-29%) peaked at seven weeks and was significantly higher in eyes with APROP (43%, 95% CI = 27%-63%) compared to eyes without APROP (13.4%, 95%CI, 8%-22%) (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Razumab appears to be safe and effective in treating ROP, with about a third requiring reinjection at seven weeks after the first dose.

An assessment of geo-morphology and hydro-biological factors of major wetlands of Bangladesh.

The present study investigates the geo-morphological features, hydro-biological profiles and resource characteristics of some selected wetlands in Brahmanbaria district, Bangladesh. Two categories of wetland have been classified on the basis of area such as the small category (40-100 ha), which belongs to 11 wetlands and the large category (100-200 ha) to nine wetlands. The mean depth of all the surveyed wetland does not exceed 3.29 ± 0.83 m. The mean value of organic matter was measured as 7.5 ± 6.34%. The maximum organic matter was recorded at Gagotia beel (24.60%) and the minimum organic matter was recorded at Kajolia beel (2.06%). The mean value of organic carbon was measured as 3.93 ± 3.33%. The highest amount of organic carbon was found at Gagotia beel (12.95%) while the lowest amount of organic carbon was observed at kajolia beel (1.08%). Soil texture indicates the percentage composition of sand, silt and clay in sediment. The average concentration of sand, silt and clay was recorded to be 53.31 ± 15.32, 17.61 ± 9.56 and 29.08 ± 12.87%, respectively. Among the 20 selected wetlands examined, 13 were found to be perennial wetlands where water is available throughout the year. There was significant difference among different wetlands in terms of organic carbon, organic matter, sand, silt and clay (P < 0.05) as analyzed by One Way Analysis of Variance (SPSS v.22). The sampling stations were presented as a map created by GIS (ArcMap v.10.1). This qualitative and quantitative assessment will not only provide new information about the geo-morphological and hydro-biological insights into the wetland but also will facilitate the development, management, and conservation of aquatic biodiversity in a significant and worthwhile manner.