University Eye Clinic, Università degli Studi di Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
Clinical Epidemiology and Biometric Unit, Scientific Direction, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2019 Mar 12;9(1):4282. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-41038-y.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo effects at 3 years of preservative-free tafluprost on corneal health. It was a prospective, masked, study on consecutive patients with a new prescription of preservative-free (PF) tafluprost (naïve-N or switched-S, 44 and 14 patients), and preserved (P) 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. Ninety-three patients were enrolled, clinical parameters were similar in the groups at baseline, apart from intraocular pressure (IOP) which was 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 the 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 time in the three groups. Beading-like formations were stable over time for the P- and the PF-group, while significantly increased in the S-group (p = 0.027). Endothelial density values were statistically different at baseline (p = 0.007), 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). Our study is the first to show that a PF-tafluprost formulation does not significantly alter the corneal structures as examined by confocal microscopy after 36 months of topical daily therapy, while improving corneal alterations due to chronic preserved therapies.
本研究旨在评估 3 年内不含防腐剂的他氟前列素对角膜健康的体内作用。这是一项前瞻性、盲法、连续患者研究,新处方为不含防腐剂(PF)他氟前列素(新处方-N 或转换-S,44 例和 14 例)和含防腐剂(P)贝美前列素 0.003%或曲伏前列素 0.004%(P 组,35 例)。在基线和 3 年内每 6 个月进行一次全面眼科检查和角膜共焦显微镜评估。共纳入 93 例患者,各组基线临床参数相似,除眼内压(IOP)较低外(S 组 p=0.012)。共焦显微镜参数在基线和随时间变化均呈现不同趋势。在基线时,三组角膜细胞激活相似(p=0.43),但在接下来的几个月中,新处方 PF 他氟前列素治疗的患者角膜细胞激活显著减少(p=0.004)。向 PF 他氟前列素转换的患者的亚基底神经倾向于增加(p=0.07),而其他两组则保持稳定(PF 组 p=0.11,P 组 p=0.40)。三组的扭曲程度随时间稳定。珠状形成在 P 组和 PF 组随时间稳定,而在 S 组显著增加(p=0.027)。内皮密度值在基线时存在统计学差异(p=0.007),PF 组和 S 组均降低(p=0.048 和 0.001),而 P 组增加(p=0.006)。本研究首次表明,在 36 个月的局部每日治疗后,使用 PF 他氟前列素制剂不会显著改变角膜结构,同时改善因慢性含防腐剂治疗引起的角膜改变。