Non-Pharmaceutical Treatment of Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis - Full Text View

Purpose

Seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) is an irritating eye condition that affects many people, caused by hypersensitivity to normally harmless substances such as pollen, and often accompanies seasonal hay fever. Treatments that can be used before initiating medical therapy include artificial tear supplements (ATS) and cold compresses (CC). However, there is no evidence in the scientific literature that demonstrates their efficacy compared to no treatment or their combined effect with anti-allergic medication. Therefore the investigators aim to examine the efficacy of ATS and CC alone, in comparison to anti-allergic medication, and CC in combination with anti-allergic medication. In addition, the investigators also aim to determine the time course of ocular allergic reactions. At the end of the study the investigators will be able to see whether or not ATS and CC are effective in treating SAC.

Condition	Intervention	Phase
Ocular Allergy	Other: Non-Pharmaceutical Tear Supplement Device: Eye Gel Mask Blue placed over the closed eyes Drug: ELESTAT® (epinastine HCl ophthalmic solution) 0.05%	Phase 4


Study Type:	Interventional
Study Design:	Allocation: Randomized Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator) Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title:	Investigating the Efficacy of Artificial Tear Supplements and Cold Compresses for the Treatment of Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Allergy Dietary Supplements Pinkeye Tears

Drug Information available for: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by Aston University:

Primary Outcome Measures:

Symptoms [ Time Frame: 1 hour ]
Short questionnaire
Ocular redness [ Time Frame: 1 hour ]
Bulbar and limbal redness will be observed with a slit lamp biomicroscope and graded using a validated scale
Ocular Temperature [ Time Frame: 1 hour ]
Ocular surface temperature will be measured with an infra-red camera


Enrollment:	18
Study Start Date:	March 2012
Study Completion Date:	February 2013
Primary Completion Date:	November 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms	Assigned Interventions
No Intervention: No Treatment Exposure to grass pollen only
Active Comparator: Artificial Tear Supplement Preservative free Hypromellose Eye Drops BP 0.3% w/v preservative free - MHRA product licence number:23097/0006	Other: Non-Pharmaceutical Tear Supplement artificial tear supplement (Hypromellose) Other Name: Hypromellose is also sold as Isopto plain eye drops
Active Comparator: Cold Compress Cooled gel eye mask http://www.visiondirect.co.uk/vision-direct/eye-gel-mask-blue	Device: Eye Gel Mask Blue placed over the closed eyes Bag fill with temperature retention gel Other Name: Sold by http://www.visiondirect.co.uk/vision-direct/eye-gel-mask-blue
Active Comparator: Anti-allergic Medication ELESTAT® (epinastine HCl ophthalmic solution) 0.05% Initial U.S. Approval: 2003 H1 histamine receptor antagonist indicated for the prevention of itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis	Drug: ELESTAT® (epinastine HCl ophthalmic solution) 0.05% 1 drop on single occasion after exposure to grass pollen

Detailed Description:

There will be a total of 6 study visits, each lasting approximately 1 hour and separated by at least 2 days. At the beginning of each visit, a set of measurements will be taken by an experienced optometrist. These are:

What symptoms you are feeling and how severe they are - you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire about how your eyes currently feel.
The redness and temperature of your eyes - the front surface of both eyes will be photographed using digital cameras.

After these measurements we will ask you to stand inside a specially designed room where the environment can be controlled by a computer. The pollen that you were found to be allergic to will then be introduced into the atmosphere of the room, so that the signs and symptoms of SAC can be induced - this is intentional, but normally resolves within a few hours with no treatment. At each visit, you will experience a different duration (no longer than 10 minutes) and either no treatment, artificial tear supplement (ATS; preservative free ocular lubricant), cold compress (CC; cooled gel eye mask) or anti-allergic medication (epinastine hydrochloride 500μg/mL). The measurements will then be repeated even 5 minutes for an hour.

After the final set of measurements, the front surface of your eyes will be assessed using a temporary dye to highlight using a blue light any changes. Fluorescein dye does not sting, lasts only a few minutes and has no effect on vision or driving. However it may cause a self limiting mild allergic reaction where the eyes become red, irritated and sore but this is highly unlikely as there are no known reported cases. In the unlikely event this does happen the experienced optometrist is immediately available to manage the condition.

The anti-allergic drug epinastine hydrochloride (Elestat, Allergan) is a prescription only medicine indicated for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. As with all medications, there are potential side effects - although uncommon (1 in 10 to 1 in 100 people), there may be a slight burning sensation on application but this temporary and subsides quickly. The epinastine formulation also contains preservatives called benzalkonium chloride and disodium edetate. As with fluorescein sodium, these may cause a self limiting mild allergic reaction. In the unlikely event this does happen the experienced optometrist is immediately available to manage the condition.

Study Length and Reimbursement Each of the 6 measurement visits is separated by 7 days therefore the total study length for each participant is 6 weeks.

Eligibility


Ages Eligible for Study:	18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
Sexes Eligible for Study:	All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

history of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis or seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (seasonal hay fever) that is not currently active.

Exclusion Criteria:

eye surgery in the last 3 months
active eye condition
adverse reaction to ocular drugs or dyes
history of anaphylaxis (severe systemic allergic reaction)
use any ocular medication or systemic medications (antihistamines, mast cell stabilisers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids) at least 14 days prior to the start and for the duration of the study

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01569191

Locations


United Kingdom
National Pollen and Aerobiology Unit
Worcester, United Kingdom, WR2 6AJ

Sponsors and Collaborators

Aston University

University of Worcester

More Information


Responsible Party:	Aston University
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT01569191 History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers:	Allergy12
Study First Received:	March 27, 2012
Last Updated:	June 3, 2013

Keywords provided by Aston University:


Ocular allergy Tear supplement Cold compress

Additional relevant MeSH terms:


Conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, Allergic Conjunctival Diseases Eye Diseases Hypersensitivity, Immediate Hypersensitivity Immune System Diseases Ophthalmic Solutions Lubricant Eye Drops	Epinastine Pharmaceutical Solutions Histamine H1 Antagonists Histamine Antagonists Histamine Agents Neurotransmitter Agents Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Physiological Effects of Drugs

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on August 17, 2017