Induction of corneal collagen cross-linking in experimental corneal alkali burns in rabbits

• Autor(a) principal: Colombo-Barboza,Marcello
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Outros Autores: Colombo-Barboza,Guilherme, Felberg,Sergio, Dantas,Paulo Elias Corrêa, Sato,Elcio Hideo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Arquivos brasileiros de oftalmologia (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-27492014000500283
• topic: Cross-linking reagents; Riboflavin; Ultraviolet therapy/methods; Cornea/ drug effects; Rabbits; Animal

Objective: To evaluate the effect of riboflavin-ultraviolet-A-induced cross-linking (CXL) following corneal alkali burns in rabbits. Methods: The right corneas and limbi of ten rabbits were burned using a 1N solution of NaOH and the animals were then divided into two groups: a control group submitted to clinical treatment alone and an experimental group that was treated 1 h after injury with CXL, followed by the same clinical treatment as administered to the controls. Clinical parameters were evaluated post-injury at 1, 7, 15, and 30 days by two independent observers. Following this evaluation, the corneas were excised and examined histologically. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in clinical parameters, such as hyperemia, corneal edema, ciliary injection, limbal ischemia, secretion, corneal neovascularization, symblepharon, or blepharospasm, at any of the time-points evaluated. However, the size of the epithelial defect was significantly smaller in the CXL group (p<0.05) (day 15: p=0.008 and day 30: p=0.008) and the extent of the corneal injury (opacity lesion) was also smaller (day 30: p=0.021). Histopathology showed the presence of collagen bridges linking the collagen fibers in only the CXL group. Conclusions: These results suggest that the use of CXL may improve the prognosis of acute corneal alkali burns.