Is oxidative stress involved in Vernal keratocongiuntivitis? Results
from a pilot study in children
Abstract
Background: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a rare chronic
conjunctivitis characterized by a predominantly eosinophil-mediated
inflammatory disorder that could develop critical complications such as
blindness. Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of
several allergic diseases. The role of oxidative stress has been
hypothesized in VKC, but no study explored this issue.Furthermore,
cyclosporine A (CsA) exerts an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action
on the conjunctiva. This study aims to assess oxidative stress in VKC
patients and controls and to study the effect ofCsA on oxidative stress
in these subjects. Methods:Thirty-six consecutive children, including 12
VKC(9 males, 75%; mean age 10,17; SD ± 2.48) patients without
treatment,12 VKC treated with CsA(9 males, 75%; mean age 9,08; SD±
2.75) and 12 controls (CT) (7males,58%; mean age8,58; SD ±1,78) were
recruited. A cross-sectional study was performed to compare H2O2 in the
serum and the tears ofthese children. Results: Compared with CT and VKC
children treated with CsA, VKCuntreated children had significantly
higher values ofHydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in theserum and the tears.No
significant differences were observed between CT and VKC treated with
CsA. A significant correlation was found at the linear regression
analysis between serum and tear H2O2 levels. Conclusion: This study
provides the first report attesting that patients with VKC have high
oxidative stress; furthermore, it suggests that CsA could have an
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action that could be useful to prevent
the poor VKC outcome.