Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the in vivo effects of preservative-free (PF)-tafluprost versus other preserved prostaglandins on corneal health after 3 years of follow-up
Methods :
Prospective, masked, study on consecutive patients with a new prescription of PF-tafluprost (naïve-N or switched-S, 44 and 14 patients), and preserved bimatoprost 0.003% or travoprost 0.004% (P-group, 35 patients). A complete ophthalmic examination and an in vivo corneal confocal microscopy evaluation were performed at baseline and every 6 months for 3 years.
Results :
Clinical parameters were similar in the groups at baseline, apart from IOP, lower in the S-group (p=0.012). Both at baseline and over time, confocal microscopy parameters had different trends. At baseline, keratocyte activation was similar in the three groups (p=0.43) but over next months naïve patients treated with PF-tafluprost presented a significant (p=0.004) reduction in keratocyte activation. Sub-basal nerves tended to increase in patients switched to PF-tafluprost (p=0.07) while were stable in the other two groups (p=0.11 in PF and 0.40 in P group). Grade of tortuosity was stable over the time in the three groups. Beading-like formations were stable over the time for P- and PF-group, while significantly increased in S-group (p=0.027). Endothelial density values were statistically different at baseline (p=.007), they decreased both in PF-group and in S-group (p=0.048 and 0.001, respectively), while increased in P-group (p=0.006).
Conclusions :
Our study is the first to show that, after 36 months of topical daily therapy, a PF-tafluprost formulation does not significantly alter the corneal structures in naïve patients while improving corneal alterations due to chronic preserved therapies in patients switched to this therapy, as examined by confocal microscopy.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.