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Prospective, Randomized, Single Masked, Parallel Study Exploring the Effects of a Preservative-Free Ophthalmic Solution Containing Hyaluronic Acid 0.4% and Taurine 0.5% on the Ocular Surface of Glaucoma Patients Under Multiple Long-Term Topical Hypotensive Therapy

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Abstract

Introduction

To compare the effects of a preservative-free (PF) ophthalmic solution containing hyaluronic acid (HA) 0.4% and taurine (TAU) 0.5% with those of a PF ophthalmic solution containing HA 0.2% on ocular surface signs, symptoms, and morphological parameters in glaucoma patients under multiple long-term topical hypotensive therapy.

Methods

Eligible patients underwent evaluation of ocular surface parameters by ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and glaucoma symptom scale (GSS) questionnaires, breakup time test (BUT), Schirmer I test, corneal and conjunctival staining (Oxford scale), and conjunctival in vivo confocal microscopy (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 3, Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany). After the baseline visit, patients were randomized to use a PF ophthalmic solution containing HA 0.4% and TAU 0.5%, QID, in both eyes (group 1) or to use a PF ophthalmic solution containing HA 0.2%, QID (group 2) in addition to the ongoing preserved hypotensive treatment. Follow-up visits were scheduled at 30 and 90 days.

Results

Thirty-nine eyes of 39 glaucoma patients were included in the study. At baseline, results of study tests of both groups were similar. After 90 days in group 1 the BUT (p = 0.01), the Oxford score (p = 0.03), the conjunctival goblet cells (CGC) density (p = 0.0005) ,and the two questionnaires score significantly improved (OSDI, p = 0.003; GSS, p = 0.003) compared to baseline values, while in group 2 all these parameters did not differ from baseline (BUT, p = 0.39; Oxford score, p = 0.54; CGC density, p = 0.33, OSDI p = 0.65, GSS, p = 0.25). The BUT and the CGC density were statistically different between groups both at 30 and 90 days (p = 0.04 and p = 0.04, respectively). The Schirmer I test did not statistically change after 90 days in both groups.

Conclusions

The PF ophthalmic solution with HA 0.4% and TAU 0.5% seems to improve CGC density and reduce signs and symptoms of dry eye in glaucoma patients under long-term multiple preserved hypotensive therapy.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT03480295.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the participants of the study.

Funding

The research for this paper was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health and by Fondazione Roma. No funding or sponsorship was received for the publication of this article.

Authorship

All named authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship for this article, take responsibility for the integrity of the work, and have given their approval for this version to be published.

Disclosures

Gloria Roberti, Luca Agnifili, Francesca Berardo, Ivano Riva, Michele Figus, Gianluca Manni, Luciano Quaranta, and Francesco Oddone have nothing to disclose.

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional committee (IRCCS Fondazione G.B. Bietti, Trial Registry N.51/FB/16) and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Data availability

The data sets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Glaucoma Unit, IRCCS Fondazione G.B. Bietti, Via Livenza 3, 00198, Rome, Italy

    Gloria Roberti, Francesca Berardo, Ivano Riva, Gianluca Manni & Francesco Oddone

  2. Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. D’Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy

    Luca Agnifili

  3. Department of Surgical, Medical, and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, Pisa, Italy

    Michele Figus

  4. DSCMT, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133, Rome, Italy

    Gianluca Manni

  5. Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy

    Luciano Quaranta

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  1. Gloria Roberti
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  2. Luca Agnifili
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesco Oddone.

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Roberti, G., Agnifili, L., Berardo, F. et al. Prospective, Randomized, Single Masked, Parallel Study Exploring the Effects of a Preservative-Free Ophthalmic Solution Containing Hyaluronic Acid 0.4% and Taurine 0.5% on the Ocular Surface of Glaucoma Patients Under Multiple Long-Term Topical Hypotensive Therapy. Adv Ther 35, 686–696 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-018-0699-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-018-0699-8

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