Efficacy of cyclosporine and tacrolimus drops in the treatment of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in dogs

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of tacrolimus and cyclosporine on the lacrimal production of dogs with ketaroconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) for 90 days. Tacrolimus 0.02% (TcL) and 0.1% cyclosporine (CsA) eye drops were used in 14 dogs with KCS. The animals were randomly assigned to two groups and evaluated before treatment (T0) and at 15 (T1), 30 (T2), 45 (T3), 60 (T4), 75 (T5) and 90 (T6) days after initiation of treatment. Clinical evaluation showed significant reduction of ocular secretion, corneal opacity and edema and conjunctival vascularization in the tacrolimus group. Schirmer test showed basal lacrimal production of 6(4.07 and 5.86(2.85mm/min for TcL and CsA, respectively, with significant increase in lacrimal production in both groups. There was a significant increase in lacrimal production after 15 days of treatment in the TcL group (17.88(5.51mm/min), but only after 45 days in the CsA group (11.86(4.74mm/min). Tacrolimus drops increased lacrimal production in 68.83% after 90 days of treatment, compared to cyclosporine (56.82%), and also reduced clinical manifestations related to KCS when compared to cyclosporine.