| Title | Topical N-acetylcysteine reduces interleukin-1-alpha in tear fluid after laser subepithelial keratectomy. | | Author(s) | Urgancioglu B, Bilgihan K, Engin D, Cirak MY, Hondur A, Hasanreisoglu B | | Institution | 82. Yil State Hospital, Rize - Turkey. | | Source | Eur J Ophthalmol 2009 Jul-Aug; 19(4):554-9. | | Abstract | PURPOSE. To evaluate the effect of topical N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on interleukin 1-alpha (IL-1alpha) levels in tear fluid after myopic laser subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) and its possible role in modulating corneal wound healing.
METHODS. Twenty-six eyes of 13 patients who underwent myopic LASEK were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n=10 eyes) was used as a control group. All patients received topical lomefloxacin and dexamethasone postoperatively. Additionally, patients in Group 2 received topical NAC for 1 month postoperatively. Tear fluid samples were collected with microcapillary tubes preoperatively, on the first and on the fifth postoperative day, and the release of IL-1alpha in tear fluid was calculated. Haze grading and confocal microscopic examinationwere performed at 1 and 3 months postoperatively.
RESULTS. The mean IL-1-alpha release values were 0.285-/+0.159 pg/min in Group 1 and 0.235-/+0.142 pg/min in Group 2 preoperatively. In Group 1, the values were 0.243-/+0.155 pg/min on day 1 and 0.164-/+0.125 pg/min on day 5. In Group 2, the mean IL-1alpha release values were 0.220-/+0.200 pg/min on day 1 and 0.080-/+0.079 pg/min on day 5. The difference between the groups was significant only for day 5 (p<0.05). Mean corneal haze score and grey scale value in confocal microscopy were significantly higher (p<0.05) in Group 1 at 1 month. However, at 3 months there was no difference between groups (p>0.05).
CONCLUSIONS. NAC seems to have an additive effect to steroids in suppressing IL-1alpha levels in tear fluid and may be clinically advantageous in modulating corneal wound healing during the early postoperative period after LASEK. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 19551668 |
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