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Efficacy of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) in stage 1 neurotrophic keratitis

Eye volume 38, pages 1390–1391 (2024)Cite this article

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Classified as an orphan disease, neurotrophic keratitis (NK) is a rare degenerative corneal ailment with an elusive pathophysiology [1]. The disease progresses through three stages based on the severity of ocular surface damage; stage 1 involves mild epithelial alterations, superficial punctate keratopathy, and decreased corneal sensation [2]. Treatment strategies vary based on the stage of NK, ranging from topical therapies such as cenegermin, plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF-Endoret®) eye drops, and autologous serum tears, to more invasive approaches like corneal neurotization and transplantation [3]. While some studies advocate the beneficial effects of PRGF on advanced NK, limited data exists on its impact on stage 1 NK patients treated with PRGF eye drops [4]. This study is the first to investigate PRGF-Endoret® eye drops’ safety and efficacy in stage 1 NK.

This research, undertaken at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between November 2021 and December 2022, is a retrospective review of stage 1 NK patients who were administered PRGF eye drops 4–6 times daily over a 2-month period. We evaluated demographic data and multiple ocular surface clinical parameters pre- and post-treatment. The University of Miami Institutional Review Board approved this study. The captured data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism (Version 8).

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Fig. 1: The initial and final status of two cases with stage 1 NK after 8.3 and 8.5 weeks of treatment with PRGF eye drops.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this work are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

References

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Funding

This work was supported by NIH Center Core Grant P30EY014801 (institutional), and Research to Prevent Blindness Unrestricted Grant GR004596 (institutional).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Seyyedehfatemeh Ghalibafan, Kwaku A. Osei, Guillermo Amescua & Alfonso L. Sabater

  2. Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Kwaku A. Osei & Alfonso L. Sabater

Authors
  1. Seyyedehfatemeh Ghalibafan
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  2. Kwaku A. Osei
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  3. Guillermo Amescua
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  4. Alfonso L. Sabater
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Contributions

SG conducted the search, extracted data, and interpreted the results. KAO analyzed the data. ALS designed the review protocol and provided feedback. GA provided feedback on the report.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alfonso L. Sabater.

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Ocubio, LLC (ALS).

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Ethical approval was granted by the University of Miami Institutional Review Board, and the research adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki standards.

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Ghalibafan, S., Osei, K.A., Amescua, G. et al. Efficacy of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) in stage 1 neurotrophic keratitis. Eye 38, 1390–1391 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02904-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02904-2

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