title: A pilot clinical study on the effectiveness of mesoglycan against diabetic retinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A double-blind placebo-controlled study on 68 patients suffering by Diabetic Retinopathy was aimed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of Mesoglycan in this pathology. This drug is particularly interested in treatment of disorders of microcirculation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The two treatments were randomly assigned to each patient, using a 100 mg/day dosage of Mesoglycan, and both treatments were prescribed for 6 months. The efficacy of both treatments was based on clinical and instrumental check.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinical results that emerged in the group treated with Mesoglycan were excellent, although observations are on a limited number of patients appears a direct action of Mesoglycan on the endothelium retinal blood vessels and circulation. Indeed, in the observed patients, was detected a significant reduction of microhemorrhages, microaneurysms and exudates. The same cannot be said of the placebo group; none of patients of that group showed signs of clinical improvement at the end of the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data emerging from our study show a direct action of Mesoglycan on endothelium retinal blood vessels and circulation, as we observed in patients we found a significant reduction in the number of microhemorrhages, microaneurysms and exudates. This action can be explained by the characteristics of drug as antithrombotic profibrinolytic and anti-edema, already found in vitro and experimentally. We conclude that our preliminary study showed an encouraging clinical efficacy, together with excellent tolerability, and therefore our objective has been met, which was to verify the existence of the prerequisites for a larger clinical study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs-Ophthalmology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. pacella.ferny@libero.it
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pacella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pacella
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turchetti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mazzeo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anzidei
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malvasi
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Malarska
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brillante
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balocco Gabrieli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; C040617:mesoglycan