Topical Cyclosporine Suspension for the Treatment of Brittle Nails
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2011-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Brittle nail syndrome (BNS) refers to nails that exhibit splitting, raggedness (fraying of
the distal edge), and peeling (lamellar onychoschizia).(1) This is a common problem,
affecting approximately 20% of women, with higher prevalence among the elderly.(2) A number
of factors have been proposed as possible causes of nail brittleness, such as anemia, biotin
deficiency, or cysteine deficiency. (3,4) However, most authors believe that brittle nails
are usually caused by dehydration of the nail plate, either from repetitive cycles of
hydration and dehydration related to hand washing or from exposure to dehydrating chemicals,
such as those found in nail enamel and cuticle removers. (5,6) Inflammation of the nail as a
potential contributing factor has never been studied.
There are currently not consistently effective treatments for this condition. Restasis® is
effective in treating keratoconjunctivitis sicca. This condition is characterized by the
troublesome condition of dry eyes partially due to decreased tear production exacerbated by
inflammation. The BNS manifests itself by nail plate dehydration. The two conditions have in
common disruption of water balance which gives rise to problematic clinical disorders. The
hypothesis is that a product which benefits tear production would also be effective for
brittle nails which contain roughly 15% water.