Comparison of the corneal effects of latanoprost, fixed combination latanoprost-timolol, and timolol - A double-masked, randomized, one-year study

Objective: To compare the long-term effects on corneal endothelial cell density and corneal thickness of latanoprost and the fixed combination latanoprost-timolol to timolol. Design: Double-masked, randomized, prospective, multicenter clinical trial. Participants: Three hundred sixty-nine subjects with bilateral ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma who had a baseline central corneal endothelial cell density of at least 1500 cells/mm(2), central corneal thickness of less than 0.68 mm, no corneal pathologic condition on slit-lamp examination, and intraocular pressure of less than 22 mmHg after a 3-week run-in on timolol, 0.5%, once daily were included. Intervention: Subjects were randomly assigned to treatment with latanoprost 0.005% (n = 127), fixed-combination latanoprost 0.005%-timolol 0.5% (FC, n = 116), or timolol 0.5% (n = 126) one drop, once daily in the morning for 1 year. All subjects were treated in both eyes. Specular microscopy and ultrasonic pachymetry were performed before treatment, and after 6 and 12 months of treatment. Main Outcome Measures: Mean percent change in central endothelial cell density and central corneal thickness after 1 year of treatment. Results: For both corneal endothelial cell density and corneal thickness, the mean percent changes from baseline were similar in all three treatment groups. Mean percent endothelial cell change at 1 year from baseline for latanoprost, FC, and timolol was 0.3 +/- 2.2%, 0.1 +/- 1.8%, 0.0 +/- 2.5% (mean +/- standard deviation; 95% confidence interval: latanoprost vs timolol -0.2-1.0; FC vs timolol -0.4-0.7) and mean percent change in corneal thickness was -1.1 +/- 2.5%, -1.0 +/- 2.0%, 0.2 +/- 3.1%, respectively. Conclusions: Latanoprost and FC are equivalent to timolol regarding long-term corneal effects after 1 year of treatment. Ophthalmology 2001;108:264-271 (C) 2001 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.