title: Allogenic cultivated limbal stem cell transplantation versus cadaveric keratolimbal allograft in ocular surface disorder: 1-year outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the outcome of allogenic ex vivo cultivated limbal stem cell transplantation (LSCT) versus cadaveric keratolimbal allograft in patients with limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective interventional study from Army Hospital Research and Referral in New Delhi, 50 eyes of 40 patients with ocular surface disorder having LSCD underwent either cultivated LSCT (group 1: 25 eyes of 20 patients) or keratolimbal allograft transplantation (group 2: 25 eyes of 20 patients). The outcome measures were gain of two or more lines of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), absence of conjunctival vascularization over cornea, corneal neovascularization regression, regression of visually significant corneal opacity (iris details poorly visible), Schirmer's 1 ≥10 s, tear break-up time (TBUT) ≥10 s, and absence of fluorescein staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 1 year of follow-up, both groups experienced significant improvement in all outcome measures, but there was no significant difference between both groups in improvement of two or more lines of BCVA (P = 0.841), absence of conjunctival vascularization over cornea (P = 0.812), corneal neovascularization (P = 0.074), visually significant corneal opacity (P = 0.075), Schirmer's 1 ≥10 s (P = 0.814), TBUT ≥10 s (P = 0.382), or absence of fluorescein stain (P = 1.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both allogenic ex vivo cultivated LSCT and cadaveric keratolimbal allograft transplantation are comparable in terms of visual gain and ocular surface restoration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Army Hospital Research and Referral, Delhi Cantt., New Delhi, 110010, India. jksparihar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jitendra Kumar Singh
authors.initials: JKS
authors.lastname: Parihar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, INHS Asvini, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Avinash Singh
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Parihar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Uttar Pradesh Rural Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (U.P.R.I.M.S. & R.), Saifai, Etawah, India.
authors.forename: Vaibhav Kumar
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (P.G.I.M.E.R.), Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Jaya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Pramod
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016510:Corneal Neovascularization / Q000473:pathology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000166:cytology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Corneal neovascularization; Corneal opacity; Cultivated limbal stem cell transplantation; Limbal stem cell deficiency; Ocular surface disorder