OSST should be closely monitored for rejection

Article

Ocular surface stem cell transplantation (OSST) patients should be closely monitored for rejection and compliance with immunosuppression.

Ocular surface stem cell transplantation (OSST) patients should be closely monitored for rejection and compliance with immunosuppression, claims a paper in the journal Cornea.

Dr A.Y. Ang et al., Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, conducted a chart review of 222 eyes of 158 patients who underwent OSST at a single institution between 1998 and 2010. The group collected data on patient demographics, type of OSST procedure, duration of immunosuppression and rejection characteristics. The primary outcome measures were ocular surface stability and improvement in BCVA.

The most common indications for OSST were aniridia in 46.4% of patients, chemical/thermal injury in 22.1% and Stevens-Johnson syndrome in 12.2%. The most frequent procedures performed were keratolimbal allograft (KLAL) alone in 80.6% of patients and combined living-related conjunctival allograft (lr-CLAL)-KLAL in 11.3%.

Severe rejection was seen in 43 eyes, while low-grade rejection occurred in 26 eyes. At the final follow-up, 36.6% of eyes in the rejection group presented with a stable ocular surface, compared with 71.9% of eyes in the non-rejection group. Younger age, KLAL alone and noncompliance with immunosuppression were all factors that played a significant part in increasing the risk of rejection.

Please click here to read the abstract.

Newsletter

Join ophthalmologists across Europe—sign up for exclusive updates and innovations in surgical techniques and clinical care.

Recent Videos
Christine Curcio, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, shares histology update and revised nomenclature for OCT with Sheryl Stevenson of the Eye Care Network and Ophthalmology Times
SriniVas R. Sadda, MD, FARVO, shares key points from his retina presentation at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium
Robert Sergott, MD, describes fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) and the International SPECTRALIS Symposium – And Beyond (ISS) in Heidelberg, Germany.
Rayaz Malik, MBChB, PhD, a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, spoke with Ophthalmology Times Europe about his presentation. It's titled "An eye on neurodegenerative diseases: Challenging the dogma" at the International SPECTRALIS Sympsoium. In conversation with Hattie Hayes, Ophthalmology Times Europe
Anat Loewenstein, MD, describes her presentation on remote imaging for age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium, in conversation with Hattie Hayes of Ophthalmology Times Europe
Tyson Brunstetter, OD, PhD, a US Navy Aerospace Optometrist at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, shares key takeaways from his keynote at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium (ISS)
Rayaz Malik, MBChB, PhD, shares his presentation, titled An eye on neurodegenerative diseases: Challenging the dogma, at this year's International SPECTRALIS Symposium
At the Retina World Congress, Siegfried Priglinger, MD, speaks about ensuring the best outcomes for preschool-aged patients
At the 2025 ASCRS meeting, Robert Ang, MD said small aperture IOLs can benefit all patients, especially those with complex corneas or who have undergone previous corneal refractive surgery
Viha Vig, MBChB graduate student at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, discusses her poster presentation on the relationship between mitochondiral disease, Alzheimer disease, and other types of dementia.
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.