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Safety and Efficacy of Punctal Plug Insertion in Patients With Dry Eye

Phase 4
Completed
Conditions
Dry Eye
Interventions
Device: Punctal Plug
Registration Number
NCT01684436
Lead Sponsor
Allergan
Brief Summary

This study will access changes in tear protein levels and symptoms of dry eye following insertion of a punctal plug.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
30
Inclusion Criteria
  • Patients with moderate to severe dry eye
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Exclusion Criteria
  • Previous punctal plug insertion in the last 3 months or presence of plugs at the time of study
  • Contact lens wear in the 7 days prior to study start or during the study
  • LASIK procedure in the last year
  • Cataract or other eye surgery in the last 3 months
  • Corneal grafts
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Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Punctal plugPunctal PlugPunctal plugs inserted into the study eye on Day 1.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Concentration of Tear Cytokine Levels Before Punctal Plug Insertion in the Study EyeWeek 0 (Baseline)

A punctal plug (tear duct plug) is a device inserted into the tear duct (puncta) of the eye to block the tear duct from draining liquid from the eye. Tears were collected using the Schirmer's test strip. Tears are measured in the study eye for tear cytokine levels before punctal plug insertion in picogram(pg)/milliliter (mL)/millimeter (mm) of Schirmer's test strip moistened. Cytokines help with the generation of an immune response. Increased cytokine levels are representative of inflammation in the eye.

Concentration of Tear Cytokine Levels Following Punctal Plug Insertion in the Study EyeWeek 3

A punctal plug (tear duct plug) is a device inserted into the tear duct (puncta) of the eye to block the tear duct from draining liquid from the eye. Tears were collected using the Schirmer's test strip. Tears are measured in the study eye for tear cytokine levels before punctal plug insertion in picogram(pg)/milliliter (mL)/millimeter (mm) of Schirmer's test strip moistened. Cytokines help with the generation of an immune response. Increased cytokine levels are representative of inflammation in the eye.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Corneal Fluorescein Staining Score in the Study EyeWeek 0 (Baseline), Week 3

The cornea is evaluated following ocular administration of fluorescein stain in the study eye. The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye which covers the iris and pupil. The cornea is divided into 5 regions. Each region is scored according to the extent of staining, with scores ranging from 0 to 4 points: 0=non-staining to 4=regional whole staining of the cornea with 0.5 unit intervals. The higher the staining score, the worse the dry eye condition.

Schirmer's Test ScoreWeek 0 (Baseline), Week 3

The Schirmer's Test measures the rate of tear secretion by the eye over 5 minutes (min). The results indicate the presence of dry eye (Normal = greater than or equal to 10 millimeters (mm) of tears, Dry Eye = less than 10 mm of tears). The smaller the number, the more severe the dry eye.

Tear Film Break-up Time (TBUT)Week 0 (Baseline), Week 3

TBUT is defined as the time to initial breakup of the tear film following a blink. The longer it takes, the more stable the tear film.

Dry Eye Questionnaire Irritation ScoreWeek 0 (Baseline), Week 3

Severity of dry eye irritation is rated by the patient using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Patients put a mark on a 100 millimeter line where 0 (far left on the line)=no symptoms to 100 (far right on the line)=most severe symptoms. The higher the score, the more severe the symptoms.

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