Background: Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) has been shown to affect wound repair. Anti-transforming growth factor beta 1 antibodies have been shown to neutralize its activity.
Methods: Seventeen New Zealand White rabbits underwent unilateral photorefractive keratectomy followed by corneal staining with dichlorotriazinyl fluorescein. Three groups received topical transforming growth factor beta 1: 1 microgram/ml, 10 micrograms/ml, and 100 micrograms/ml; one group topical anti-transforming growth factor beta antibody (200 micrograms/ml); and a control group vehicle only. Corneal haze was graded from 0 to 4, weekly. Rabbits were sacrificed at 5 weeks and histopathological analysis and fluorescence microscopy performed.
Results: All treated eyes developed haze and had epithelial erosions. No statistically significant differences in haze score were seen among individual treatment groups (Kruskal Wallis p > 0.05). The anti-transforming growth factor beta antibody group had less haze than all other groups at every week after the first. Comparing all transforming growth factor beta 1 treated eyes as one group to the antibody group, significantly less haze was seen at weeks 3 and 4 in the antibody treated group (p = 0.028 and 0.013, respectively). This study is limited by small group size and further studies are needed to confirm these results.
Conclusion: TGF-beta may be involved in stromal haze formation, and topical anti-TGF-beta 1 antibody may help reduce the development of stromal haze.