The effect of topical infliximab and triamcinolone acetonide on corneal mif levels in experimental corneal chemical burn

Neovascularization in the transparent cornea is sight-threatening condition.The aim of this study is to compare the effects of different doses of infliximab withtriamcinolone in experimental corneal chemical burn.Seven groups which were contained seven Wistar albino rats were formed.The right corneas of rats were cauterized by a silver nitrat pencil. Corneas in group Iwere not cauterized and not given any treatment. Rats in group II were installedsaline topically and group III were installed 4 mg/ml triamcinolone drops. In groupIV, V and VI were administered topically infliximab 5, 10, 20 mg/ml respectively.Corneal photographs were taken at 8th day and the corneal surface covered withneovascular vessels was measured on the photographs as the percentage of the totalarea of the cornea and the animals were sacrificed on the 8th day and corneas wereexcised. Macrophage migration inhibitor factor (MIF) immunostaining was evaluatedsemicantitatively at the cornea.The percentage of neovascularization area in all treated groups were smallerthan sham group (p<0.05) but were similar in each other. In group III, the epithealand stromal MIF immunostaining intensity was smaller than sham group (p<0.01)but the stromal staining was higher than control group (p<0.01). In group IV, stromalstaining was significant smaller than sham group (p<0.05) but was not significant inthe epithelial layer. In the other infliximab treated groups MIF immunostainingintensity were smaller at the epitheal and stromal layers than sham group. In groupVI, epithelial and stromal MIF immunostaining were significant smaller than groupIV and group V but were similar to group III and control group. The stromal stainingwas similar to control group only at the group VI in all treated groups.In conclusion, in experimental corneal burn topically triamcinolone iseffective to prevent corneal neovascularization and MIF immunostaining. The effectof topically 10 mg/ml infliximab is similar to triamcinolone whereas 20 mg/ml ismost effective.Key words: Corneal neovascularization, infliximab, MIF