Abstract
Purpose::
To evaluate the role of prepared Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor eye- drops in corneal epithelial healing of transgenic mice (B6(A)-Rperd12 /J ) after excimer laser photo-ablation.
Methods::
In our prospective case series, 20 eyes of 10 mice had uneventful bilateral excimer laser photo-ablation. In each mouse, 1 eye received standard topical postoperative therapy with tobramicin, diclofenac and desamethasone eyedrops plusBasic Fibroblast Growth Factor eyedrops 5 µg / 10 µl PBS (3 times a day for 1 week or until corneal re-epithelialization was complete. The fellow eye served as the control and received standard postoperative therapy plus placebo. The mice were monitored daily starting the day after surgery and for 7 days to evaluate the corneal re-epithelialization rate using a video slit-lamp camera with a cobalt blue light. Mean diameter of corneal wounds was measured. Videotaped images were recorded and analyzed by computer planimetry.
Results::
All the eyes treated withBasic Fibroblast Growth Factor eyedrops healed completely before day 5 post-surgery, with a mean re-epithelialization time of 92 hours ± 10 (SD); the mean re-epithelialization time was 121 ± 8 hours in eyes receiving placebo (P<.05);. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in corneal haze presentation during follow-up (P =.70), perhaps because the time period was too brief (7 days). However, corneal clarity, on slit-lamp bio-microscopy in the study group was greater than in the control group. No side effects or toxic effects were documented.
Conclusions::
This data suggests that Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor significantly accelerates epithelial healing after PTK. A further clinical study should be performed to prove the results obtained in this study and the long-term efficacy of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor to prevent corneal haze.
Keywords: cornea: epithelium • growth factors/growth factor receptors • laser