Evaluation of Tranilast to Treat Pterygium Before Excision
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-03-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Recurrent or secondary pterygium often has often a growing fibrovascular tissue more
exuberant than the primary. Histological findings differ from the primary, since the typical
changes in the degenerate connective tissue are absent. The strong immunoreactivity and
release of basic fibroblast growth (b-FGF) in cultured fibroblasts of recurrent pterygia
suggest that fibroblasts may play an important role in pterygium recurrence. Tranilast used
is an antiallergic drug that has an inhibitory effect on the release of chemical
transmitters, such as histamine and leukotrienes from mast cells as well as a suppressive
effect on vascular permeability.This drug also reduces TGF-β1 production and collagen
synthesis in various cells. Tranilast might reduce pterygium recurrence by suppressing TGF-β1
synthesis in conjunctival fibroblast after pterygium surgery. The investigators want to
confirm these findings and also compare the recurrence rate between the two types of surgery.
Tranilast might be an alternative of mitomycin use, and also less toxic. This study aim to
compare the effectiveness of preventing recurrence by using tranilast by topical
subconjunctival administration previous to conjunctival autograft transplantation surgery in
cases of primary pterygium, and will be perform clinical evaluation and TGF-beta-1
immunohistochemical detection by the anti-TGF-beta 1 antibody as well as fibroblast culture.