Oral acyclovir reduces the incidence of recurrent herpes simplex keratitis in rabbits after penetrating keratoplasty.
To determine if acyclovir sodium prevents postoperative herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) recurrences, 21 rabbits harboring latent HSV-1 underwent uniocular autograft penetrating keratoplasty. All operated-on eyes were treated with topical and subconjunctival dexamethasone sodium phosphate. Ten of the 21 rabbits also received oral acyclovir (intravenous acyclovir was given at the time of surgery). Postoperatively, 9 (82%) of 11 operated-on eyes in rabbits not treated with acyclovir had positive HSV-1 ocular cultures. In acyclovir-treated rabbits, however, none of the 10 operated-on eyes had positive ocular cultures. In addition, 9 (82%) of 11 of the operated-on eyes had geographic ulcers develop in the non-acyclovir-treated rabbits, compared with 1 (10%) of 10 in the acyclovir-treated rabbits. Finally, stromal keratitis appeared in 5 (56%) of 9 of the operated-on eyes in non-acyclovir-treated rabbits and 1 (12%) of 8 of the operated-on eyes in acyclovir-treated rabbits. The results of this study indicate that acyclovir significantly lowered the incidence of HSV-1 ocular shedding, geographic ulceration, and stromal keratitis in a rabbit autograft penetrating keratoplasty model.
Beyer
C F
CF
National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Md.
Arens
M Q
MQ
Hill
G A
GA
Rose
B T
BT
Beyer
L R
LR
Schanzlin
D J
DJ
D000212:Acyclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000473:pathology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007634:Keratitis / Q000209:etiology; D007635:Keratitis, Dendritic / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011817:Rabbits; D012008:Recurrence; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013666:Tears / Q000382:microbiology
D000212:Acyclovir