Efficacy of nedocromil 2% versus fluorometholone 0.1%: a randomised, double masked trial comparing the effects on severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis. (1/12)

AIMS: To compare the efficacy of topical nedocromil 2% with fluorometholone 0.1% in vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). METHODS: In a double masked random design, 24 patients with severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis were placed at random on nedocromil 2% eye drops in one eye and fluorometholone 0.1% in the fellow eye. At the end of the 2 week treatment period, the patient crossed over the eye drops (if asymptomatic in one eye), or continued with nedocromil sodium in both eyes (if asymptomatic in both eyes). All patients were examined weekly and ocular surface temperature recorded for a period of 6 weeks. RESULTS: Improvement in the watering, discharge, conjunctival hyperaemia, papillary hypertrophy, and Trantas' dots was noted in both groups, but overall fluorometholone was significantly more effective than nedocromil. Eyes treated with fluorometholone showed a significant decrease in ocular surface temperature compared with nedocromil treated eyes (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Both nedocromil and fluorometholone were effective in ameliorating the signs and symptoms of vernal keratoconjunctivitis. No adverse effects were noted in the nedocromil group.  (+info)

A clinical study of the efficacy of topical corticosteroids on dry eye. (2/12)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of topical corticosteroid for treatment of moderate or severe dry eye. METHODS: Sixty eyes of 30 patients with moderate or severe dry eye, who were not sensitive to artificial tears, were treated with 0.1% fluorometholone eye drops. Subjective symptom and objective tests were used to evaluate the efficacy of treatment before and after application of 0.1% fluorometholone eye drops for 1 week and 1 month. Side effects were also evaluated. RESULTS: After 1 week of treatment, subjective symptoms were improved in all dry eye patients; objective tests were improved in all dry eye patients 1 month after treatment, and the difference was significant. CONCLUSION: Topical corticosteroid drops can rapidly and effectively relieve the symptoms and signs of moderate or severe dry eye.  (+info)

The variant N363S of glucocorticoid receptor in steroid-induced ocular hypertension in Hungarian patients treated with photorefractive keratectomy. (3/12)

PURPOSE: Variation in sensitivity to glucocorticoids observed in healthy population is influenced by genetic polymorphisms of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1). N363S, ER22/23EK, and Bcl I have been previously described as glucocorticoid-sensitivity modulating polymorphisms. We investigated whether these variants may contribute to steroid-induced ocular hypertension and if they play a role as protective or risk factors during exogenous glucocorticoid administration. METHODS: We examined 102 patients who underwent photorefractive keratectomy and received topical steroids (either fluorometholone 0.1% or prednisolone acetate 0.5% alone or combined) as part of postoperative therapy. The choice of steroid depended on course of wound healing and regression. Variations in intraocular pressure (IOP) levels in response to steroid therapy were observed. To genotype DNA, allele-specific PCR amplification was applied for the N363S polymorphism, and PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed to examine the Bcl I and the ER22/23EK polymorphisms. We separately analyzed data from three groups of patients: those who received fluorometholone only; those who were initially given fluorometholone then later switched to prednisolone acetate; and those who received prednisolone acetate only. Covariance analysis with forward stepwise variable selection was carried out. RESULTS: In cases where prednisolone acetate was administered, we found a significant correlation between N363S heterozygosity and steroid-induced ocular hypertension. ER22/23EK and Bcl I polymorphisms do not have a major influence on the risk of developing steroid-induced ocular hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Genotyping of high risk steroid responders may allow an individual therapy to avoid steroid-induced ocular hypertension. The N363S polymorphism may have a clinical significance in the future.  (+info)

The effect of topical diclofenac on choroidal blood flow in early postoperative pseudophakias with regard to cystoid macular edema formation. (4/12)

PURPOSE: To study the chronological change in choroidal blood flow (ChBFlow), disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier, and incidence of cystoid macular edema (CME) in early postoperative pseudophakic eyes, as well as the effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) eye drops on these phenomena. METHODS: Fifty patients who underwent phacoemulsification and foldable intraocular lens (IOL) implantation were randomized to receive either topical diclofenac or fluorometholone for 5 postoperative weeks. An additional 20 subjects, with long-standing pseudophakia served as the control. The blood-aqueous barrier was examined by laser flarimetry and choroidal blood velocity (ChBVel), volume (ChBVol), and ChBFlow by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) at 2 days and 1, 2, and 5 weeks after surgery. The incidence and severity of CME were evaluated by fluorescein angiography at 2 and 5 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: Compared with patients taking diclofenac, those receiving fluorometholone showed significantly reduced ChBVol at 2 weeks (0.38 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.32 +/- 0.07, P = 0.022) and ChBFlow at 1 (11.01 +/- 1.74 vs. 9.35 +/- 1.51, P = 0.003) and 2 (11.15 +/- 1.43 vs. 8.47 +/- 1.27, P = 0.000) weeks after surgery, as well as a significantly elevated amount of anterior flare at 1 (8.9 +/- 2.2 vs. 24.4 +/- 18.9, P = 0.001) and 2 (9.2 +/- 3.5 vs. 16.7 +/- 12.3, P = 0.025) weeks after surgery. The ChBVol and ChBFlow in the fluorometholone group, however, returned to normal and was not different from the diclofenac group at 5 weeks after surgery. The incidence of fluorescein angiographic CME trended to be higher (P = 0.08) at 2 weeks and was significantly higher (P = 0.001) at 5 weeks after surgery in eyes with fluoromethalone than with diclofenac. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction of ChBFlow, disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier, and incidence of CME in early postsurgical pseudophakic eyes were more effectively prevented chronologically in eyes treated with diclofenac than in those treated with fluorometholone.  (+info)

Do topical ophthalmic corticosteroids suppress the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal axis in post-penetrating keratoplasty patients? (5/12)

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Topical steroid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit inflammatory cytokine expression on the ocular surface in the botulinum toxin B-induced murine dry eye model. (6/12)

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of the topical steroid, fluorometholone, and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), nepafenac and ketorolac, on inflammatory cytokine expression of the ocular surface in the botulium toxin B-induced murine dry eye model. METHODS: Topical artificial tears (0.5% carboxymethylcellulose sodium), 0.1% fluorometholone, 0.1% nepafenac, and 0.4% ketorolac were applied 3 times per day in a dry eye mouse model 1 week after intralacrimal botulium toxin B (BTX-B) or saline (sham) injection. Tear production and corneal fluorescein staining were evaluated in all groups before injection at baseline and at 3 time points up to 4 weeks after injection. The pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: BTX-B-injected mice showed significantly decreased aqueous tear production and increased corneal fluorescein staining at the 1 and 2 week time points compared with normal control and saline-injected mice. In the BTX-B-injected mice, immuno fl uorescent staining for TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells increased significantly at the 2 and 4 week time points compared to that of normal and saline-injected mice, and returned to normal levels at the 4 week time point. Topical fluorometholone significantly improved corneal surface staining in the BTX-B-injected mice after 1 week of treatment, and increased the tear production within 2 weeks, but without statistical significant difference. Topical fluorometholone significantly decreased the staining of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in corneal and conjunctival epithelia after 1-week treatment. Topical artificial tears, 0.1% nepafenac, and 0.4% ketorolac did not show obvious effects on tear production, corneal surface staining, and levels of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha expression in normal, and BTX-B-injected dry eye mice. CONCLUSIONS: Topical fluorometholone caused suppression of inflammatory cytokine expression on the ocular surface in the Botulium toxin B-induced murine dry eye model, while topical NSAIDs demonstrated no clearly beneficial effects.  (+info)

Effect of fluorometholone/tetrahydrozoline fixed combination on conjunctival autograft morphology after primary pterygium excision. (7/12)

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Ocular anti-inflammatory and systemic immunosuppressive effects of topically applied fluorometholone. (8/12)

Anti-inflammatory and systemic immunosuppressive effects of topically applied steroidal and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents on experimental immunogenic uveitiis in rabbits were studied. The onset of the immunogenic uveitis induced by a single intravitreous injection of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was significantly correlated with the appearance of anti-BSA antibody in the serum. A significant correlation was also found between the maximum serum level of antibody and the maximum severity of uveitis. Suspensions of fluorometholone, dexamethasone or indomethacin were applied topically twice a day for a month to eyes injected with BSA. Ocular inflammation was suppressed by fluorometholone and dexamethasone, fluorometholone having the greater anti-inflammatory activity. The circulating antibody titer was also suppressed by both these steroids, but conversely fluorometholone had the lower systemic immunosuppressive activity. Indomethacin did not suppress the uveitis or circulating antibody production. The results of these investigations indicate that the anti-inflammatory effect of the steroid fluorometholone surpasses the immunosuppressive effect, unlike usual anti-inflammatory steroids.  (+info)