Is Interferon α-2b 1 MillionIU/mL Truly Better Than Tacrolimus 0.03% for Steroid-Resistant VKC ?: Our 2-Year Experience at a Tertiary Health-Care Centre

Figures & data

Table 1 VKC Scoring System

TOTAL SUBJECTIVE SYMPTOM SCORE = TSSS
Symptom	Severity Score
Itching	0: Absent, no desire to scratch
	1+: Intermittent desire to scratch
	2+: Frequent desire to scratch
	3+: Constant desire to scratch
Photophobia	0: Absent, no photophobia
	1+: Mild, squints in bright light
	2+: Moderate, improves with use of sunglasses
	3+: Severe, improves only with total eye occlusion
Foreign body sensation	0: Absent, no foreign body sensation
	1+: Discrete, similar to dust
	2+: Mild, similar to sand
	3+: Severe, constant and similar to rock
Tearing	0: Absent
	1+: Humid, no epiphora
	2+: Intermittent epiphora
	3+: Constant epiphora
TOTAL OBJECTIVE SIGN SCORING = TOSS
Sign	Severity Score
Conjunctival hyperemia	0: Absent, calm conjunctiva
	1+: Mild, increase in vessel diameter, difficult to notice
	2+: Moderate, increase in diameter and number of vessels
	3+: Diffuse and intense hyperemia
Upper tarsal papillae	0: Absent on the central tarsal conjunctiva
	1+: Present on the central tarsal conjunctiva
	2+: Some giant papillae
	3+: Giant papillae predominance
Limbus	0: No limbal inflammatory activity
	1+: Limbal hyperemia
	2+: Limbal hyperemia and papillae
	3+: Horner-Trantas dots
Keratitis	0: Absent, no epitheliopathy
	1+: Superficial punctate keratitis
	2+: Confluent punctate keratitis
	3+: Shield ulcer
Discharge	0: Absent, no discharge
	1+: Little amount in the fornix
	2+: Moderate amount in the fornix
	3+: Great amount in the fornix, sticky eyes in the morning

Table 2 Demographic Data of Patients Included in Study

	Group A	Group B	p value	Total
Sample size	25	25		50
Sex
Males	19	22	0.463	41(82%)
Female	6	3		9(18%)
Mean age (years)	8.68 ± 2.53	7.92 ± 2.33	0.274	8.3 ± 2.43
Duration of disease before treatment (years)	3.04 ± 1.21	2.96 ± 1.14	0.810	3 ± 1.16
Associated allergic condition
Atopic dermatitis	1	0	1	1 (2%)
Allergic rhinitis	8	6	0.753	14 (28%)
Asthma	2	1	1	3 (6%)
VKC-subtype
Tarsal	15 (60%)	17 (68%)		32 (64%)
Limbal	2 (8%)	4 (16%)	0.346	6 (12%)
Mixed	8 (32%)	4 (16%)		12 (24%)

Table 3 Comparative Data of TSSS and TOSS Between Study Groups

	Group A	Group B	Intergroup Comparison (p value)
At entry (baseline)	TSSS: 7.24 ± 1.98	TSSS: 7.84 ± 1.82	TSSS: 0.271
	TOSS: 6.72 ± 2.07	TOSS: 6.56 ± 2.04	TOSS: 0.785
1 Month	TSSS: 3.48 ± 1.48	TSSS: 3.16 ± 1.28	TSSS: 0.417
	TOSS: 2.76 ± 1.54	TOSS: 3.08 ± 1.22	TOSS: 0.419
6 Months	TSSS: 1.12 ± 0.83	TSSS: 0.62 ± 0.41	TSSS: 0.042
	TOSS: 1.52 ± 0.87	TOSS: 1 ± 0.71	TOSS: 0.025
24 Months	TSSS: 1.08 ± 0.94	TSSS: 0.68 ± 0.32	TSSS: 0.038
	TOSS: 1.46 ± 0.79	TOSS: 0.98 ± 0.89	TOSS: 0.011
Intra-group comparison (p value)
Baseline vs 1 Month	TSSS: <0.0001	TSSS: <0.0001
	TOSS: <0.0001	TOSS: <0.0001
Baseline vs 6 Months	TSSS: <0.0001	TSSS: <0.0001
	TOSS: <0.0001	TOSS: <0.0001
Baseline vs 24 Months	TSSS: <0.0001	TSSS: <0.0001
	TOSS: <0.0001	TOSS: <0.0001