Long-term outcome of systemic cyclosporine treatment following penetrating keratoplasty.
OBJECTIVE
To perform a retrospective study to evaluate the long-term outcome of systemic cyclosporine treatment as an adjunct to topical corticosteroid treatment after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP).


METHODS
Twenty-six high-risk patients (27 eyes) who received systemic cyclosporine following PKP for an average of 5.4 months were compared with another series of 57 patients (57 eyes) who did not receive cyclosporine after PKP.


RESULTS
Endothelial rejection developed in 2 cases during cyclosporine treatment and in 6 cases after discontinuation. The rate of rejection-free graft survival was similar between the treated and the control groups. The control group showed a significantly higher rate of graft survival than the treated group. As side effects in the treatment group, transient elevation in blood urea nitrogen or creatine developed in 7 cases. Increase in glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) or glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) developed in 4 cases. Severe side effects were absent throughout the series in both groups of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Systemic cyclosporine treatment for several months did not reduce the incidence of rejection nor improve the rate of graft clarity in the long term in high-risk patients after PKP.
Inoue
K
K
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Kimura
C
C
Amano
S
S
Sato
T
T
Fujita
N
N
Kagaya
F
F
Kaji
Y
Y
Tsuru
T
T
Araie
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects; D003401:Creatine / Q000097:blood; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003401:Creatine