Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY, cilt.19, sa.4, ss.554-559, 2009 (SCI-Expanded)
PURPOSE. To evaluate the effect of topical N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on interleukin 1-alpha (IL-1 alpha) 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-1 alpha in tear fluid was calculated. Haze grading and confocal microscopic examination were 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-1 alpha 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-1 alpha levels in tear fluid and may be clinically advantageous in modulating corneal wound healing during the early postoperative period after LASEK. (Eur J Ophthalmol 2009; 19: 554-9)