1.
Cyclosporine A for the Prevention of Ocular Graft versus Host Disease in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients Is Safe and Feasible
Cantu-Rodriguez, O. G., Vazquez-Mellado, A., Gonzalez-Trevino, J. L., Martinez-Garza, D. M., Gomez-De Leon, A., Hawing-Zarate, J. A., Jaime-Perez, J. C., Gutierrez-Aguirre, C. H., Garza-Acosta, A. C., Mancias-Guerra, C., et al
Acta haematologica. 2019;:1-7
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ocular cyclosporine in the prevention of the development of ocular graft versus host disease (oGVHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in comparison with historic data. DESIGN We developed a longitudinal, observational, prospective nonrandomized study. We evaluated the feasibility of prophylactic use of topical cyclosporine A (CsA) to prevent or decrease the incidence of oGVHD and compared this with historic data. METHODS Patients undergoing AHSCT were treated with prophylactic topical CsA for 12 months after engraftment, followed by serial ophthalmic evaluations, including the Schirmer test. RESULTS Twenty patients were included. No serious adverse effects were reported. Poor adherence was documented in 15% of patients. In spite of observing extra-ocular GVHD (acute and chronic GVHD incidence of 50 and 45%, respectively), only 1 in 20 patients developed oGVHD over the 20-month follow-up for the entire cohort. No statistically significant difference was observed in the incidence of oGVHD when compared to a historical cohort. CONCLUSIONS Topical CsA as a prophylactic measure for oGVHD, administered over a period of 1 year after grafting, is safe and feasible and may decrease the incidence of ophthalmic manifestations of GVHD. These findings must be confirmed in a randomized trial.
2.
Topical Cyclosporine Pretreatment of Ocular Surface in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients
Chun, Y. H., Beak, J. U., Kim, H. S., Na, K. S.
Journal of ocular pharmacology and therapeutics : the official journal of the Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2018
Abstract
PURPOSE Dry eye disease (DED) of ocular graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Ongoing inflammation and irreversible fibrotic changes of the ocular surface and adnexa are obstacles for effective treatment of ocular GVHD. We hypothesized that topical cyclosporine A (CsA) pretreatment might be effective in preventing ocular GVHD. METHODS In this prospective, randomized, comparative study, patients were randomly assigned to the topical CsA treatment (4 times daily in both eyes for a month before allogeneic HSCT and continued use of eye drops after transplantation) or control (no treatment) groups. Participants underwent thorough ophthalmic examination-including Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire survey, Schirmer test, tear break-up time (TBUT) evaluation, and corneal fluorescein staining-before and 1, 2, and 3 months after allogeneic HSCT. RESULTS Fifty-eight participants completed the study. Among patients with baseline Schirmer values <10 mm and TBUT <5 s before allogenic HSCT, those in the topical CsA treatment group exhibited significantly better corresponding values after transplantation than patients in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Topical CsA pretreatment might be beneficial in the early stage of DED and might prevent further inflammation and consequent irreversible fibrosis, especially in patients with preexisting DED components.