A recent study has revealed promising results for treating corneal ulcers caused by alkali burns through the use of amniotic membrane photo-tissue bonding (PTB). Conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences and the Research Institute of Ophthalmology, this innovative technique was compared with traditional amniotic membrane grafting (AMG) methods, highlighting its potential to improve corneal healing.
Corneal ulcers, particularly those resulting from alkali burns, can pose serious threats to vision. When the cornea is damaged by chemical exposure, the risk of prolonged repair and sight-threatening complications increases significantly. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of PTB, which uses light-activated technology to bond amniotic tissue to the cornea, allowing for quicker and potentially less invasive treatment than traditional sutured methods.
The research involved twenty-seven female New Zealand rabbits, whose corneal ulcers were induced using sodium hydroxide solution. The rabbits were then treated with either PTB, using rose bengal dye and laser technology, or with cyanoacrylate glue for the AMG approach. Remarkably, the study demonstrated significant improvements in the corneal protein concentration across treatment groups.
Notably, the PTB treatment resulted in increases of 88.49% for DNA repair, as evidenced by reductions in DNA fragmentation, compared to 82.35% for the AMG group. This suggests PTB not only enhances protein levels but may also promote healthier cellular function through reduced oxidative stress.
The findings of this research showed total corneal protein concentrations improved markedly with the use of PTB, decreasing 45.2% immediately post-treatment but improving gradually to -14.38% from baseline by the two-week mark. On the other hand, the AMG technique showed lesser improvements over the same period with notable decreases of 52.05% to -32.2%.
“The AM PTB technique used for corneal ulcers showed promising improvement,” emphasized the authors of the article, highlighting the advantages of the recent methodology over traditional techniques.
Beyond protein levels, the refractive index, which indicates the healing quality of corneal tissue, improved significantly for both techniques. With PTB, the index showed subtle enhancements, reflecting the potential for restoring visual quality post-injury.
The study's results unequivocally endorse the incorporation of PTB for the clinical management of corneal ulcers, particularly highlighting its FDA-approved components, including rose bengal and diode lasers, all of which are already associated with positive outcomes in ophthalmic procedures.
“These results strongly support the use of AM PTB for ophthalmic purposes,” the authors added, emphasizing the need for broader clinical applications and future studies to validate these findings.
With the successful sealing of corneal ulcers without requiring traditional sutures, PTB technique may represent the next step forward for ophthalmologists dealing with acute corneal injuries. By minimizing the risk of infection and facilitating quicker healing, this technique might not only improve patient outcomes but also influence the standard of care for ocular surface diseases.
Future studies will be necessary to explore the broader ramifications of integrating the PTB technique within routine ophthalmological practice and to investigate its efficacy across different types of corneal injuries.
