[Treatment of dry eye syndrome with lacrimal gel: a randomized multicenter study]. / Traitement de la sécheresse oculaire par gel lacrymal: étude multicentrique randomisée.

The appearance on the French market of a carbomer tear substitute, Gel-Larmes, an original galenic form, constitutes a real therapeutic progress in the treatment of dry eye syndrome. An open randomized multicentric trial was conducted comparing the tolerance and efficacy of Gel-Larmes with those of eye drops containing chondroitin sulphate. The statistical analysis evidences an inferior average number of daily instillations for Gel-Larmes, its better efficacy on the symptoms as well as on the objective criteria: biomicroscopic examination, break-up time, rose Bengal test. The tolerance of the product is excellent and 81% of the patients express their wish to pursue Gel-Larmes versus 54% for the reference product.

[A multicenter randomized study of fusidic acid ophthalmic gel and rifamycine eyedrops in acute conjunctivitis]. / Etude randomisée multicentrique acide fusidique gel ophtalmique et rifamycine collyre dans les conjonctivites aiguës.

A total of 163 patients with acute, presumably bacterial, conjunctivitis were included in a randomized trial, comparing: 1% fusidic acid viscous eye drops, a new ophthalmic formulation of fusidic acid instilled twice daily with rifamycin eye drops, four times daily. Both drugs were given 7 days long. Bacterial origin of the conjunctivitis, mainly staphylococcal, was proved in 75% of the cases. Overall, at the end of the treatment, a satisfactory response, on bacteriological and clinical grounds, was recorded for 87.3 and 89.5% of the patients in the Fucidin gel and rifamycin groups respectively. 9 and 12% of the patients in each group respectively, had a clinical recurrence 15 days after the treatment. No significant difference between the groups clinically and bacteriologically was noted. Side effects, mainly burning and smarting were noted by the investigators in 8 and 11 patients treated by fusilic acid and rifamycin respectively. Two patients were taken out of the study in the rifamycin group because of allergy. The difference between the groups is not significant. The use of fusidic acid viscous eye drops as compared to rifamycin eye drops was judged significantly easier by the patients (P less than 0.02), especially because of the reduced number of applications, the lack of color, and the lase of application.

Functional exploration of the lacrimal gland by tear electrophoresis.

Electrophoresis of tears, a rapid and easy technique, shows several peaks of migration. Three main peaks correspond to the proteins synthesized by the lacrimal gland: rapid migrant proteins, lactoferrin migrating to the anode, and lysozyme migrating to the cathode. Secretory tissue injuries of the lacrimal gland show a more or less important decrease of one or several peaks. Any inflammatory reaction induces an increase in the serum albumin and immunoglobulin fractions. This exploration can be helpful in the diagnosis of the sicca syndrome or of drug poisoning thereby avoiding lacrimal biopsy.

Lactic deshydrogenase isoenzymes in the ocular tissues and liquids.

Lactic deshydrogenase isoenzymes in different parts of the ocular tissues and humors were analyzed. An appreciation in crossing of the lactic deshydrogenase concentration was indicated. In the human eye, the largest quantities of lactic deshydrogenase were found in the cornea and in the vitreous and aqueous humors, where isoenzymes 3, 4, and 5 are the most numerous. Lactic deshydrogenase was found in small quantities only in the conjunctiva and in the lacrimal gland. In the bovine eye, the proportion of isoenzymes is different. The chemical constitution of human serum isoenzymes seems to differ from that of the tissues and liquids in the bovine eye (their mobility is different). Therefore, the results obtained with bovine eyes cannot be applied to human eyes. The largest quantity of lacrimal lactic deshydrogenase isoenzymes comes from the cornea, any recent corneal lesion causing an increase in isoenzyme 4.

[Effect of timolol-epinephrine combination on intraocular pressure (author's transl)]. / Effet tensionnel de l'association timolol-adrénaline. Etude préliminaire.

There were no signs of incompatibility between timolol and epinephrine, administered simultaneously with other antiglaucoma drugs in 20 eyes. A drop in IOP, related to the addition of epinephrine to previous antiglaucoma therapy was noted. The sites of beta-blockade and beta-stimulation have not yet been determined.

Long-term treatment with timolol ophthalmic solution in open-angle glaucoma.

A preselected population of 96 patients (67 glaucomas, 29 ocular hypertensions) were followed for an average period of 30 months. Timolol eye drops were administered either alone, in dosage strengths of 0.25 or 0.5% or in combination with other antiglaucoma drugs. 9 patients were lost to follow-up after a mean treatment duration of 15.3 months; glaucoma had been stabilized in all of them. 10 patients had unsatisfactory intraocular pressure control and 7 had to undergo trabeculectomy (9 of these 10 patients had campimetric glaucoma at the beginning of the study), whereas 76 patients had satisfactory intraocular pressure control and, in the majority, stabilization of glaucoma had been obtained. In 77% of this preselected population glaucoma was stabilized over a period of 3 years (i.e. close to two thirds of those starting treatment, 70% of which had campimetric glaucoma).

[Essay about lacrymal proteins during sicca syndromes (author's transl)]. / Etude des protéines lacrymales au cours des syndromes secs.

Most of sicca syndromes are expressed in a modification of specifically lacrimal proteins. These modifications are involving:--perturbations in tears-electrophoresis, residing in a more or less important decrease of one or several lacrimal proteins,--a frequent sinking in rate of total lacrimal proteins,--a slump of antimicrobial property in tears. The electrophoretic modifications could serve for base to biological classification of sicca syndromes.

[A single dose of maleate of timolol given orally: the effect on the ocular pressure (author's transl)]. / Le timolol per os en dose unique: effet sur la tension oculaire.

A single dose of 5 mg of maleate of timolol given orally to glaucomatous patients, considerably lowers their I.O.P. during a period of time of at least 6 hours. It causes only a slight decrease in blood pressure and pulse rate.

[Effect of daily instillations of timolol on the nycthemeral tension in subjects with chronic open-angle glaucoma (author's transl)]. / Action d'une instillation quotidienne de timolol sur la courbe tensionnelle nycthémérale de sujets porteurs d'un glaucome à angle ouvert.

This study included 22 patients with chronic open-angle glaucoma who were treated with either 0.25% or 0.5% timolol. The results showed that a single daily instillation of 0.25% or 0.5% timolol was effective, without producing any side-effects. It was interesting to note that timolol caused the tension peaks to disappear, the nycthemeral graph curve becoming plateau-shaped.

[Attitude toward subretinal fluid and consequent treatment of idiopathic retinal detachment]. / Attitude vis-á-vis du liquide sous-rétinien et ses conséquences lors du traitement du décollement idiopathique de la rétine

250 retinal detachments have had surgery for the first time: 70 with release of the subretinal fluid, 180 without release of the subretinal fluid. It appears that the postoperative intraocular conditions and functional results are better when drainage is not performed.