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Treatment of patients with neurotrophic keratitis stages 2 and 3 with plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF-Endoret) eye-drops

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Abstract

Purpose

To provide preliminary data about efficacy and safety of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) eye-drops in neurotrophic keratitis (NK) and to analyze the possible influence of certain variables on treatment outcomes.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients with stages 2–3 of NK treated with PRGF eye-drops. Primary endpoint was the resolution time of corneal ulcer defect. Outcome measures including percentage of ulcer closure at 4 weeks, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), Best-Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were also evaluated before and after treatment with PRGF. The influence of some patients’ clinical variables on results was assessed. Safety assessment was also performed reporting all adverse events.

Results

Thirty-eight treated eyes in a total of thirty-one patients were evaluated, of which five cases had no prior response to autologous serum treatment. Most cases (97.4%) achieved the complete resolution of corneal defect/ulcer. Mean resolution time was 11.4 weeks (SD = 13.7). A statistical significant (p < 0.05) reduction in OSDI (60.9%), VAS frequency (59.9%), VAS severity (57.0%) and improvement in BCVA (52.8%) was observed. The results were stratified according to the pathology stage and to the identified potential effect modifiers variables. Only one adverse event was reported in one patient (2.6%).

Conclusions

PRGF eye-drops could be a safe and effective therapeutic option for patients with stages 2–3 of NK, showing high rates of corneal defect/ulcer resolution in short times, either in reducing signs and symptoms of NK, and therefore preventing the progression of NK to greater ocular complications.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Virginia Cuadrado for her support with the English grammar. This study received funding from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Spanish Government, within the project denominated SURFEYE (reference RTC-2014-2375-1).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Universitario Fernández-Vega, Fundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain

    Ronald Mauricio Sanchez-Avila, Jesus Merayo-Lloves, Ana Cristina Riestra & Luis Fernandez-Vega Cueto

  2. Fundación Eduardo Anitua, Vitoria, Spain

    Eduardo Anitua, Leire Begoña & Francisco Muruzabal

  3. Biotechnology Institute (BTI), Jacinto Quincoces, 39, 01007, Vitoria, Spain

    Eduardo Anitua, Leire Begoña, Francisco Muruzabal & Gorka Orive

  4. NanoBioCel Group, Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

    Gorka Orive

  5. Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

    Gorka Orive

  6. Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK

    Luis Fernandez-Vega Cueto

Authors
  1. Ronald Mauricio Sanchez-Avila
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  2. Jesus Merayo-Lloves
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  3. Ana Cristina Riestra
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  4. Luis Fernandez-Vega Cueto
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  5. Eduardo Anitua
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  6. Leire Begoña
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  7. Francisco Muruzabal
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  8. Gorka Orive
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ronald Mauricio Sanchez-Avila, Jesus Merayo-Lloves or Gorka Orive.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare the following competing financial interest(s): E.A. is the Scientific Director of and GO, LB, and FM are scientists at BTI Biotechnology Institute, a dental implant company, that investigates in the fields of oral implantology and PRGF-Endoret technology. The other authors: RSA, JMLL, ACR, LFVC declare no conflict of interest in developing this study.

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Sanchez-Avila, R.M., Merayo-Lloves, J., Riestra, A.C. et al. Treatment of patients with neurotrophic keratitis stages 2 and 3 with plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF-Endoret) eye-drops. Int Ophthalmol 38, 1193–1204 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-017-0582-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-017-0582-7

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