COMPLEMENT-DERIVED ANAPHYLATOXINS IN HUMAN DONOR CORNEAS TREATED WITHEXCIMER-LASER

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: An inflammatory response produced by excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) may be associated with the su bsequent corneal haze and regressions in refractive error observed aft er treatment. Complement-derived anaphylatoxins, potent mediators of i nflammation, may have a role in postoperative healing. MATERIALS AND M ETHODS: Twenty right human donor corneas underwent a 6-D excimer laser PRK treatment. The corresponding left donor corneas served as the con trols. After incubation in tissue culture media for 6 hours and elutio n in phosphate-buffered saline with EDTA for 24 hours, complement-deri ved anaphylatoxins C3a, C4a, and C5a were measured in corneal eluates by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Compared with control corneas, the excim er PRK corneas failed to demonstrate a significant increase in C3a, C4 a, or C5a levels (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that th e excimer laser at this dose does not activate significant complement in the cornea.