Figure 4.

Patient age and retinal condition affect intraoperative pressure levels required for bleb propagation. (A) The maximum intraoperative pressures, recorded in pounds per square inch (psi), for vector propagation were determined for 68 (97.1%) out of the 70 patients receiving pneumatic-assisted subretinal gene therapy and compared across eight retinal degenerative conditions A – H with no differences noted. (B) The ages of 70 patients were compared across retinal conditions with significant differences noted between condition D and conditions E (p<0.0001) and F (p<0.01). The number of subjects analyzed per condition are included for A and B. (N = number of patients in each disease group). (C) Maximum injection pressures for vector propagation (N=68) trended higher with decreased patient age as determined linear regression (p=0.06). (D) Maximum vector propagation injection pressures and patient ages were recorded for condition A (purple circles) and condition B (orange circles) with no trend noted. (E-F) Maximum vector propagation injection pressures and patient ages were plotted for condition D (red circles), condition E (blue circles), and condition F (green circles). Best-fit lines and equations are included. (E) Maximum intraoperative pressures were higher with decreased patient age when collectively evaluating conditions D and E (p=0.02); only trending significance remained (p=0.1–0.2) when comparing these conditions separately. (F) In contrast, there were significantly higher pressures with increased age for condition F (p=0.04). Significance was defined as p<0.05. Note that conditions C, G, and H had inadequate numbers for plotting.