Müller M. F., Pillunat L. E., Böhm A. G., Bernd A. S., Mollenhauer K. A.

University Eye Hospital Dresden

Purpose: A reduced tear film break up time (BUT) was shown after single dose application of latanoprost eye drops. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether this effect is due to the higher concentration of preservatives in this ophthalmic solution.
Material and methods: 24 healthy subjects (12 male, 12 female; mean age 31years) recieved in a double masked, cross over design benzalkonium chloride BC 0,02 %-, BC 0,005 %- and latanoprost ophtalmic solution. NaCl 0,9% solution served as control. 60 minutes before and 30, 60 and 90 minutes after eye drop application the BUT was determined. For measuring the BUT 10 µl of 0.2% fluorescein solution was used. The wilcoxon test for matched pairs was used for statistical analysis.
Results: Because of a considerable, interindividual variation the baseline data were normalized to 100%. The tear film BUT decreased after latanoprost single dose instillation after 30 min by 18,9%, after 60 min by 25,27% and after 90 min by 53,69%. The corresponding changes after BC 0,02% eye drops were +10%/±0%/-20%, after BC 0,005 % -4,23%/-5,64/- 25,36%. and after the control -11,4%/+4,48%/-28,36%. 90 min after eye drop application the BUT was significantly reduced in all tested substances (p<0,05). The changes 60 min and 90 min after latanoprost instillation were significant (p<0,05) and highly significant (p<0.0001). All other changes did not prove to be statistically significant.
Conclusion: All tested solutions lead to an impairement of precorneal tear film stability. The drop of BUT was significantly more pronounced after latanoprost application. Therefore this effect might not only be due to the high amount of preservatives in this ophthalmic solution.

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