AGE-RELATED DIFFERENTIAL EFFICACY ON DRY EYE OF LACTOBIONIC ACID-BASED EYE DROPS

Caterina Gagliano; Roberta Amato; Alessandra Pizzo; Salvatore Pezzino; Dario Rusciano

Volume : VII, Issue : II, February - 2018

AGE-RELATED DIFFERENTIAL EFFICACY ON DRY EYE OF LACTOBIONIC ACID-BASED EYE DROPS

Caterina Gagliano, Roberta Amato, Alessandra Pizzo, Salvatore Pezzino, Dario Rusciano

Abstract :

Aim of this clinical trial was to study the age–related efficacy of eye drops containing lactobionic acid (LA) on dry eye symptoms and signs, based on the consideration that dry eye in the elderly is often associated to a decrease of tear lactoferrin, and that LA could be considered a functional mimetic of lactoferrin.

Forty dry eye patients were enrolled, twenty aged between 18 and 55 years, and twenty aged between 56 and 80 years. Each age cluster was randomly divided in two groups: one was treated with hyaluronic acid (HA) eye drops, and the other with a mix of HA and LA. Symptoms and signs were measured at enrolment and up to 45 days.

Both treatments were effective in improving measured parameters in all treated patients. However, the mix with LA appeared to be more effective than HA alone, and such difference in favor of LA was much more evident in the age cluster over 55.