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Epithelial transplant procedure can benefit patients with limbal stem cell deficiency
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Allogeneic cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation accompanied by penetrating keratoplasty on an as-needed basis can improve visual acuity and restore the ocular surface in patients with bilateral corneal blindness due to limbal stem cell deficiency, a study found.
The retrospective study analyzed 28 eyes of 21 patients with bilateral and total limbal stem cell deficiency. In each case, limbal epithelial cells from a living adult related donor were cultivated in a laboratory setting using a xeno-free explant culture technique. Cells were then transplanted into the recipient eye after 10 to 14 days, and topical and systemic immunosuppressants were administered.
At a mean 4.8 ± 2.8 years of follow-up, 20 eyes had a completely epithelized, avascular, stable corneal surface. Thirteen of those eyes had undergone a subsequent PK in which the allograft demonstrated a 76.9 ± 11.7% survival rate at 1 year and a median survival of 3.3 years.
Nineteen eyes had an improvement in visual acuity to 20/60 or better, and there were no serious complications in any donor or recipient eyes.
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