RESULTS
The clinical characteristics of each group are described in Table 1. Twenty-four children affected by VKC (18 males, 75%) between 6 and 14 years of age (mean 9,63; SD±2,62) were enrolled. Of them, 12 VKC (9 males, 75%; mean age 9,08; SD± 2.75) were treated with CsA for at least four weeks and 12 VKC children (9 males, 75%; mean age 10,17; SD ± 2.48) at the onset in the active phase of the disease.
The control group (CT) composed of 12 children (7 males, 58%; mean age of 8,58; SD±1.78) well matched for gender and age with disease groups. No differences were reported for age, gender distribution, and body mass index among all children.
Positive SPTs were found in 7 (58%) VKC treated children: 6 (50%) to DPT, 5 (42%) to Lolium perenne, 4 (33%) to Olea europea, 3 (25%) to Alternaria, 1 (8%) to cat dander.
Among VKC untreated children, 6 (50%) had a positive SPT: 5 (42%) to DPT, 5 (42%) to Lolium perenne, 2 (17%) to Olea Europea, 1 (8%) to Parietaria officinalis. SPT positivity was confirmed by sIgE values ​​in the blood, which reported overlapping serum values.
Among VKC treated children, the tarsal form was diagnosed in 7 (58%) children, the limbal form in 2 (17%), while the mixed phenotype in 3 (25%) children. Instead, among untreated VKC children, 9 (75%) children presented the tarsal form, 1 (8%) the limbal one, and 2 (17 %) the mixed phenotype. No corneal involvement was reported.
VKC score was <3 points for one eye for each scale for all children.
H2O2 was detected to assess systemic oxidative stress. Compared to VKC untreated children at the onset of disease, children undergoing CsA and controls had statistically significant lower values of H2O2 (Figure 1, Panel A). No significant differences were reported between controls, and VKC treated children concerning H2O2 blood values. (Figure 1, Panel A). Finally, we analyzed H2O2 in the tears of all the enrolled children. Compared to VKC untreated children, those undergoing CsA and controls had statistically significant lower H2O2 levels, also in the tears samples (Figure 1, Panel B). No statistical differences were found between controls, and VKC treated children regarding H2O2 tears values. (Figure 1, Panel B). Interestingly among all VKC children, H2O2 serum values were linearly and significantly correlated with levels of H2O2 in tears (Rs=0.629, p<0.001) (Figure1, Panel C)